


Heaven and Hell

by Schnurble



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Prophecy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:21:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 155,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27252577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schnurble/pseuds/Schnurble
Summary: Once they had been friends, and now Serena got the job that Severus always wanted. But is this the only reason why he dislikes her and her son so much? To get an answer, you have to know about their past... It's Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts, and Voldemort is plotting evil as usual.
Relationships: Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in 2003/2004 on FictionAlley
> 
> Please note that this story was written before "Order of the Phoenix" was published - so don't be surprised that it contradicts canon information that was given in HP book 5 and later. Just regard the fic as Alternate Universe - another possibility how Harry's 5th year could have been.

_(September 1995)_

Severus Snape stood in the headmaster's office and scowled at the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses on the wall. He was impatiently awaiting the return of the office's current inhabitant. Albus Dumbledore had told him to wait while he freshened up a bit after his long journey. 

Hagrid and Dumbledore had travelled together to visit the giants at the beginning of the holidays, in order to win them as allies. Dumbledore hadn't returned until this morning, the first day of the new school year. Severus knew the headmaster should not have had the time to look for a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Severus also knew that Dumbledore hadn't assigned anybody to do that in his absence. The headmaster apparently had believed he would be back in time to address the matter himself. But now the new school year had begun, and it was too late for job advertisements and interviews. This was his chance. Severus was confident that Dumbledore would rather give him the job than have no Defence professor this year at all. 

The portraits appeared to know the reason for Severus' presence. They shot him glances that seemed to say he would never get the job as long as Albus Dumbledore was headmaster at Hogwarts. 

Severus spun around when the headmaster's voice sounded just behind him. 

"Hello, Severus. I see you have fared well over the holidays." Dumbledore's bright blue eyes twinkled with a childlike glee. "Would you like a lemon drop? I could not have any all summer long, because they were not available in Romania." He sighed happily. "I am glad to be home again." 

With these words, Dumbledore offered his visitor a sweet bag. 

Severus shook his head. Had it been anyone else, save the Dark Lord himself, the Potions master would have said something sarcastic. 

But it was Dumbledore, who to everyone's amazement had shown confidence in Severus, the Death Eater turned spy. Dumbledore, who for all his mild ways was still the only wizard Lord Voldemort had ever feared. 

"No, but thank you," Severus answered instead, a little stiffly. 

The headmaster acknowledged this with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well then, what else can I do for you?" he asked, putting a lemon drop in his own mouth. He gestured for Severus to take a seat while he himself sat down behind his desk. 

Severus, despite any courtesy he might have shown Dumbledore, had never been one for small talk. After he had taken the offered seat, he came straight to the point. "Headmaster, as you were away on business all through the holidays I assume you didn't have an opportunity to hire a new Defence professor." 

Dumbledore considered the Potions Master's statement for several seconds. A barely perceptible smile played around the corners of his mouth. "I see. And I assume you would like to step into the vacancy, Severus?" 

Severus wasn't surprised in the slightest that Dumbledore knew his plans. It often seemed as if there was hardly anything at Hogwarts that the Headmaster didn't know. Well, this would make things even easier. Clearly, Dumbledore had already had time to get used to the idea and realise that this was the only reasonable choice. 

"Yes," said Severus, "I would. I think I can make this subject _at least_ as exciting and educational as those who held the position as Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts in the last years. Although," he cocked an eyebrow, "beating Gilderoy Lockhart's pixies could be a challenge. Regardless, I know more about the Dark Arts than anyone else here in Hogwarts." 

The headmaster nodded thoughtfully. "I am certain that you do. And nevertheless, Severus, I think that Potions is your field. There are few who have become Masters in Potions, and fewer still who have your skill." Dumbledore eyed the younger man for a few seconds before adding gently, "No, you will not get the position." 

Severus bit back anger and disappointment. Even though the headmaster insisted that he trusted him, his reaction seemed to prove the opposite. Every year Severus applied for the position, and every year the headmaster rejected him. Was he afraid that Severus would acquire a taste for Dark Magic and change sides again, just because he was teaching a load of brats how to defend themselves against it? That would certainly not happen. He had learned his lesson thoroughly. 

He took a deep breath, and when he spoke nothing in his voice indicated his inner turmoil. "However, it is a fact that you have no more time to find another professor, Sir. Would you really rather leave this position unfilled than to entrust it to me?" 

The amused twinkle reappeared in Dumbledore's eyes as he answered Severus. "Oh, what makes you think the job would be vacant? I already found a new professor before I left. She will arrive this evening on the Hogwarts Express, along with the students."


	2. Encounter on the Hogwarts Express

_(September 1995)_

"I hope you didn't forget anything in the Leaky Cauldron," said Serena, heaving a bag jam-packed with magically minimized books onto the luggage rack in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Fortunately, the luggage racks were mounted somewhat lower than on a normal train. After all, even first years should be able to stow away their luggage properly. This was very convenient for Serena, who wasn't much taller than some of the students. Of course, she could have used magic to stow her belongings, but she firmly believed in exerting oneself a little whenever an opportunity arose. Too much magic and too little exercise made for rather dumpy wizards and witches. 

Her comment had been directed to her fifteen-year-old son Jon, who was now lifting his own trunk onto the opposite luggage rack. An impish gleam glinted in Jon's eyes when he answered, "Oh, I'm sure I forgot something. I just don't know what it is yet." He laughed and added Serena's trunk to the rack. 

She and her son had arrived in London the day before. They had bought school supplies for him and teaching equipment for Serena in Diagon Alley - things which she needed for the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons she would be giving at Hogwarts. 

Then she had let him wander Diagon Alley on his own for an hour, while she had stopped by the Ministry of Magic to fill out a heap of paperwork. Jon had used the time to replenish his stock of practical joke supplies and treat himself to a huge sundae at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. 

When she had picked him up there, he had almost left the bag with Filibuster Fireworks at the parlour. Serena had shaken her head and asked him, scowling, why on earth a model student would need such things. With a broad grin, he had reminded her of the fact that he had never been a model student. 

"Well, you'd better not try to disturb my lessons with this stuff. After knowing you for fifteen years, I know _exactly_ which punishment hits you hardest," she told him sternly. 

The strict tone had, however, been belied by the mischievous twinkle in her eyes and the laughter lines around her mouth. Serena hadn't been a saint herself in her own school days, and she could still remember the fun she had had then. Consequently, she did not intend to bring up her son to be a well-behaved bore. Often she had received letters of complaint from Warwick's, her son's former school, and had been routinely criticised for letting him get away with too much. But as long as Jon achieved good marks, which he did, she deliberately ignored the letters. 

They had taken two rooms in the Leaky Cauldron and spent the night in London. This morning, as always, Jon had got out of bed only after repeated demands and a charm that deprived him of his blanket by levitating it up to the ceiling. 

Unfortunately, the interior of the room was enchanted to be unreceptive to magic - probably to prevent guests from doing funny things with it. However, the owner obviously hadn't taken the trouble to have this done by a professional, so the charm was neither very advanced nor very stable. Things would have gone better had the blanket not been confronted with Serena's powerful Levitation spell. 

The result had been as unexpected as devastating. Instead of being cancelled, the spell had rebounded and had affected the entire room. Everything that wasn't firmly attached to the ground suddenly had ascended into the air and refused to come down again. Jon had bumped his head when his bed had suddenly shot upwards, only to be stopped by the ceiling. 

They had spent nearly an hour dragging everything off the ceiling and making it stay down, leaving them no time to pack their belongings properly. They had even been forced to cancel breakfast because the cab to King's Cross had been waiting - rather impatiently - for quite some time. Jon had been obliged to grab his baggage and run without checking whether he had really picked up everything. 

Serena sighed. "No doubt we'd already be rich if we didn't always have to buy everything at least twice to replace all the things you repeatedly lose. And speaking of losing - where's Spike?" 

Her son's reaction was almost comical. Jon's face froze and it looked as if his heart skipped one or two beats. He routinely lost things, unimportant odds and ends that were easily replaced. But to lose his tomcat! That hadn't happened to him yet. Serena had given Spike to him four years ago, when he had started at Warwick's. Since then they had been inseparable. 

Jon began hunting through their luggage, holding his breath - and let it out in a sigh of utter relief when he spotted Spike's cage among the bags. So he hadn't left him behind at the Leaky Cauldron. However, when he looked a bit closer, he realised that the cage's door was ajar - and it was entirely cat-free. 

"Spike's gone!" Jon ran his hands through his hair, eyes wild, before diving back into the luggage. "And I don't know if he got out in the train or on the platform! How am I supposed to find him until the train leaves?" A new thought made him pale. "But Spike was in the cage when we left the cab, wasn't he?" 

While her son dug frantically through the baggage, Serena eyed the platform outside. "I think he's over there," she finally said, pointing out of the window. 

Jon followed her gaze, his eyes coming to rest on a display panel. He looked as if he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 

Perched on the panel was a nearly all-black cat. Only its paws, right ear, and the tip of its tail were white. Apparently, Spike had climbed up the panel, perhaps during the hunt for a bird, and had got stuck about four yards off the ground. The bird must have flown away, and Spike didn't dare to climb down. He meowed pitifully for assistance. 

"I'll go and get him!" Jon exclaimed, running out of the compartment. 

"But hurry up, the train will leave soon!" Serena yelled after him as she loaded the last of the baggage. 

When she checked for stray pieces of luggage, a bit of parchment on the floor caught her eye. It was a letter from Albus Dumbledore - the letter that had abruptly changed her life. It must have slipped out from the pocket of her travelling cloak. She picked it up and reread it, as she had done countless times over the last two months. 

_My dear Serena,_

_I have not heard from you for many years, and I hope that you, Jon, and Henrietta are all right. I wish I had a more pleasant reason to write. As you might have noticed, serious events are taking place. However, I shall reiterate them here anyway._

_Lord Voldemort has returned. He has acquired a new body, and he is on the way to becoming stronger than ever before. The Ministry of Magic hides its head in the sand and declines to do something. So the task is ours now to prevent him from regaining his former influence, and we need every single ally we have to achieve this. I would be pleased if you could return to Great Britain. And what is more, the position of Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts is vacant. This is in fact your area of expertise, and I would be most glad if you would take it._

_If you could return your decision to me within the next week, I would be extremely grateful. Please forgive me that I make the issue so urgent, but if you should not accept, I have not much time to find another teacher for that subject. My owl will wait for your answer._

_Kind Regards and Best Wishes, Albus Dumbledore_

_PS: I think Harry would be delighted to meet you._

Serena put the letter back into her pocket. It hadn't taken long to make up her mind. On the one hand, she hadn't left voluntarily, and she wasn't entirely sure about the reception people would give her. And, over the years, she had grown rather fond of her new home and her new life. 

But on the other hand... At their last meeting, Voldemort had sworn not to rest before he had wiped out her entire family. If he had returned as Dumbledore claimed, Jon was in grave danger. She was sure there was no safer place for him than Hogwarts. If she taught there she could see him every day, instead of only through the holidays. She could be near him and hopefully would be able to protect him. And she could keep an eye on Harry as well. 

And Albus needed her. Years ago, he had helped her when she had been in dire straits and now, at last, she had a chance to pay him back. 

After reading the letter for the first time, she had just sat in her armchair and stared into space for a while. After many long minutes, she had sighed heavily. The fact was that she didn't really have a choice. As soon as she had realised that, she had walked over to her desk, pulled a piece of parchment out of the drawer, and had started to write her positive response. 

Now, just two months later, she was onboard the Hogwarts Express, still asking herself if she had actually done the right thing. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Jon, who was outside under the panel, pondered how he could get Spike down again. He wondered whether underage magic could be detected and traced back to him on a platform full of witches and wizards. 

Deciding to take no chances, he held out his arms and called, "C'mon, jump!" 

Spike, looking terrified, refused to move. "I'll catch you, I swear - and Mum'll have some treats for you!" he coaxed. 

Suddenly someone clapped him on the back and a male voice boomed, "Hey, Harry! How were the holidays? Muggles starve you again?" 

Jon turned around and faced a grinning, freckle-faced redhead, dressed in faded dark robes. 

When the redhead saw Jon's face, the broad grin vanished. "Oh, excuse me," the boy said a little less enthusiastically. "I thought you were my friend Harry, you look a bit like him." He stared at Jon for another long moment, mouth slightly open. 

"It's your hair," a second, female voice chimed in. "I don't know anyone except Harry who has such messy hair." 

A girl with a bushy brown mane appeared from behind the redhead, smiling at them both. 

Jon could only think of one word to describe her: gorgeous. Admittedly, this assessment was probably made by his hormones, but she wasn't ugly either. She was slender, and all the lines of her figure were smooth and flowing. Her mouth had a slightly stubborn set and her clear brown, intelligent looking eyes seemed to spark with gold in the sunlight. 

Suddenly very unsure what to say, Jon ran his hands through his hair. As soon as he was through, the hair sprang back into its former position, looking as if it hadn't seen a comb in ages. "Well, I got it from my mum," he finally answered. "She said it's a family trait." 

After saying these words, Jon quickly shut his mouth, before he could utter more rubbish that certainly no one was interested in. 

The two of them looked as if they were about to move along, most likely in search of their friend. When they turned, Jon hastily said, "I'm Jon, by the way. What's your name?" 

He didn't want the girl to leave yet, and he hoped he could engage her in a conversation. 

"I'm Hermione," she answered. She was smiling in a friendly way, and the smile lit her whole face until it literally glowed. 

"And I'm Ron," the redhead added. 

Jon swallowed and glanced at the redhead - Ron - wondering if Hermione was his girlfriend. But if she was, why was she smiling at him like that? 

_'Maybe she's just being nice, you idiot! Say something! Something intelligent!'_ Jon silently chided himself. 

Feeling his cheeks blush a little, Jon managed to mumble, "Erm, I guess you're going to Hogwarts?" 

_'What a stupid question'_ , he thought. They were at platform nine and three quarters, and the only train here was the Hogwarts Express! 

"Yes," Ron answered. "And what about you?" At these words he glanced at Jon's black robes that didn't show any of the four Hogwarts House emblems. 

"Me too." 

Jon began to doubt that he would be able to have a longer conversation, when he had even trouble to speak in whole sentences. At least he knew the girl's name now - Hermione - and that she was a Hogwarts student. So if everything failed, he could try to talk to her again later. This thought was oddly comforting, and, strangely enough, it somehow took the pressure off him, enabling him to answer Ron's next question with more than two words. 

"Why don't you have any House emblems on your robes?" Ron asked. "And how come I've never seen you around at Hogwarts? You can't be a first year." 

"I used to go to Warwick's - that's nearer to my old home in the States. My mum's from England, though, and she decided she wanted to move back. So now I'll be going to Hogwarts - Mum went there, and she thinks I'll like it." 

"She's right, I suppose. Hogwarts is really fantastic. Which year will you be in?" 

"Fifth." 

Did this information cause Hermione's smile to brighten even more, Jon wondered, or did he imagine things? 

"We're fifth years too," she said, and at least she didn't sound put off by the prospect of seeing Jon frequently at school. "We're both in Gryffindor. Did your mum tell you about the different Houses?" 

"Yeah, she did." Jon looked a little self-conscious. "But I'm really not sure if she was pulling my leg or not - she told me you get Sorted by a talking hat." 

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Yes, the Sorting Hat. You put it on your head and it reads your mind, and then -" 

She looked ready to launch into a detailed explanation about the Sorting Hat, but Ron interrupted her. He had noticed Spike - the cat was still looking at Jon in abject terror, and he was mewling more pitiful than ever. Ron pointed at him, asking curiously, "Is that your cat up there?" 

"Oh, Spike!" Jon had nearly forgotten him. "Yeah, he's mine. Stupid cat climbed up there and now he can't get back down," he explained, eyeing the cat and wondering what to do. 

"That isn't any problem," said Hermione brightly. "Hold on a minute -" and she disappeared into the crowd. 

"Where's she going?" Jon asked Ron, looking confused. 

Ron didn't have a clue either and shrugged his shoulders. "No idea what she's thought of now." 

They didn't have to wait long for an answer. Hermione returned after a few seconds, followed by a plump, kind-looking woman who shared Ron's brilliant, carrot-on-fire hair - though hers was a little darker, and muted, and here and there tinged with a bit of grey. 

"This is Jon," said Hermione, "and it's his cat that's stuck." Then she introduced the woman. "Jon, this is Mrs. Weasley." 

"My mum," Ron added, as if this wasn't obvious. 

"You must be new to Hogwarts, dear. It's nice to meet you." Mrs. Weasley smiled at Jon, offering him her hand. 

Jon took it, replying, "Nice to meet you, too." She was a small woman, and he wasn't sure why Hermione had brought her. Jon was the tallest of anyone present, and the panel had been too high even for him to reach Spike. 

"Hermione said you had a problem with your cat, dear. What's happened?" 

"He climbed up there," Jon said, pointing at the panel. "And that's exactly the problem." 

"I see." She reached for her wand. " _Wingardium Leviosa_!" 

Suddenly Spike rose into the air. When he realised that he had lost contact with the ground, Spike hissed, bristled, and stretched, trying desperately to reach the panel. But he rose inexorably, and soon he was too far away from anything solid - so he panicked. He mewled and twisted frantically in midair. 

Mrs. Weasley directed him straight into Jon's arms. Spike had hardly landed when he started to hiss angrily at her. Then he curled up in Jon's arms and wouldn't deign to look at Mrs. Weasley again. 

"Come on, Spike! Don't be so ungrateful! After all, you landed yourself in that trouble," Jon told his cat off. Then he babbled an excited thanks to Mrs. Weasley. "That was great. Thank you very much! Actually, I should have done this myself. But I wasn't sure about the ban of underage magic... dunno if this here already counts as school..." 

"You are welcome, dear," Mrs. Weasley warmly answered. With a glance at the station clock she added, "You three should get on the train now, it'll be leaving soon." 

"But I haven't found Harry yet!" Ron protested, as Mrs. Weasley started to usher them towards the nearest train car. 

"It won't do you any good to miss the train yet again, Ronald Weasley! Harry's probably already in there; he's got more sense than you. Now go on!" Mrs. Weasley literally pushed her son along, watching him balefully to make sure he boarded. 

"Would you like to sit with us? There's plenty of room in our compartment," said Jon, when they found themselves going from stuffed compartment to stuffed compartment. After having some time to get used to the company of this gorgeous girl, he had regained his usual airiness. 

"Us?" Hermione asked curiously. 

"My mum is here along with me. She'll teach at Hogwarts. Unless you mind sitting with a professor..." Jon looked like a sad puppy when he said this, his bottom lip slightly trembling, and did his utmost not to grin. 

"...Oh, no, of course we don't mind," said Hermione hurriedly, looking a bit terrified, "we'd love to sit with you." 

Ron started to laugh. "Could you show me that expression again? I think I should remember this, just in case..." 

Jon grinned, and Hermione looked relieved. 

By then, they had reached Jon's compartment. His mother was nowhere to be seen. 

"I'll look for Harry and tell him where we are," Ron said and dropped his luggage. Then he disappeared into the corridor. 

Jon put Spike in his cage, making sure the door was securely locked this time, and helped Hermione to stow Ron's and her baggage. He put Spike's carrier alongside Hermione's cat, which she introduced as Crookshanks to him, watching them intently. Both tomcats immediately took an interest in the other, looking and sniffing at the new arrival. Apparently, neither cat had an objection to their neighbour, so Jon quickly continued to help Hermione stowing the rest of the baggage on the rack and under the seats. 

They were just finished when Ron returned. Behind him was another boy, dragging along a trunk and an owl cage. The sight of him made both Jon and Hermione gasp. The boy was tall and slim and looked to be about their age. He had green eyes, serious and alert, and was wearing round glasses. His black hair seemed to grow in all directions. He wasn't quite as tall as Jon, but aside from the eyes, the glasses, and a lightning shaped scar on the boy's forehead, their similarity was frightening. 

Hermione was the first person able to speak again. "Oh my! Harry, Jon, you could almost pass as twins!" 

"Blimey! No wonder I took you for Harry," said Ron, glancing sideways at Jon. He whistled shortly, shaking his head. 

Offering Harry his hand, Jon said, "Hello, I'm Jon. Jon Potter. You must be my cousin Harry. I've heard a lot about you. Happy to meet you at last." 

Both Hermione and Ron stared at Jon, as if he had suddenly grown a second head. Harry's green eyes grew wide as saucers, and he too was speechless for a moment. Then he seemed to catch himself, and he took Jon's hand, stammering, "Cousin? ... Jon? ... I don't know anything about a cousin Jon... Are you sure we're related?" 

Jon nodded, feeling a little awkward now, and more than a little confused. "Your father and my mother were brother and sister. Didn't anybody tell you about her?" 

Harry shook his head. "No." 

"Well then, I think it's high time someone does," said a female voice from the compartment door. All four jumped, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at the petite witch standing in the doorway, laden with a variety of sweets. Serena noticed their thunderstruck gazes and said, "I haven't had them for an eternity. What's more, I had no breakfast. And since I really didn't want to wait until noon, I looked for the snack woman and raided her cart." She shrugged apologetically. "Actually, this was meant for two, but if Jon restrains himself a bit it should be enough to share." 

Jon lowered his brows into a hurt scowl. "Me? You're the one who eats all my food if I don't watch it!" he complained. 

Serena arched an eyebrow. "Really? Well all right, you three. Go for it, before Jon and I finish off everything alone!" Grinning, she dropped the sweets into a free seat and collapsed into another. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Jon didn't need a second invitation and helped themselves after Harry had quickly pushed his trunk under a seat and set Hedwig's cage on top of the same seat. 

While they were chewing, Serena turned to Harry and began to chat with him. "So, let me introduce myself. I'm Serena Potter, this cheeky rascal's mother. And you're Harry, I suppose. Yes, you look almost exactly like Jim did at that age... Jim was my brother, so that would make me your aunt." 

Harry was still chewing, which gave him a kind of excuse not to say anything. A good thing, because he was a bit stunned, and more than a bit tongue-tied. But his new-found aunt didn't wait for an answer, turning to Jon instead. "Hey, you wouldn't mind introducing your other friends to me?" 

"Err, yes, well, this is Hermione, err..." 

"Granger," Hermione supplied, and promptly introduced Ron. 

Harry took a liking to this lively woman. She seemed to like him too, and the way that she and Jon were teasing each other was simply hilarious. He wondered whether he would have such a relaxed relationship with his mother if she were still alive. And Serena was his aunt! She had known his father! Certainly she could tell him more about his parents. Sure, Sirius and Remus had known his parents, too, but they had never had much of a chance to impart much. 

And he had discovered a new cousin, who seemed nice as well, quite different from Dudley. Two new and likable relatives in one day - a pretty decent start for a school year, Harry thought, especially compared to certain other years. And - his heart leaped at the thought - perhaps this extraordinarily pleasant twist of fate would spare him another holiday with the Dursleys! But... why hadn't Serena adopted him, when he became an orphan? He thought he had grown up at the Dursleys' only because he had no other relatives. But apparently he had, and Serena was even a witch, so why didn't she take him? Why had he never heard from her? 

"What a gloomy expression on such a sunny day," said Serena, interrupting Harry's pondering. 

Well, he might as well ask now instead of trying random guesses that would probably be wrong. "Oh, I, err..., I was wondering where you've been all those years. Why didn't you ever try to get in touch with me before?" The words came out a little harsher than he had intended. 

Serena's face sobered at once. "That's a long, sad story. The condensed version is that some people deemed I wasn't trustworthy enough. They didn't let me take care of you after Jim and Lily died. You are the Boy Who Lived, a symbol of freedom for many a wizard. The Ministry can be highly paranoid, especially in regard to you. So they banned me from any contact with you. And to prevent you from initiating any contact, they saw to it that people wouldn't tell you about me." She looked down and twisted her hands in her lap. 

"But then a professorship opened up at Hogwarts, and it was offered to me." Her look lightened up - the offer had obviously meant a lot. "And Albus Dumbledore convinced the Ministry that their ban is absurd, that I'm no danger for you, and that it's high time to revoke it. I believe that the events at the end of your previous school year and the resulting drop in the Ministry's esteem for you helped this cause a lot. Well, I'm not complaining. I packed my things, grabbed Jon, and returned to Britain." 

She sighed. "I'm really glad to see you again. I must say you have grown quite a bit. Last time we've met I couldn't even have a decent conversation with you, since you were still a baby." The serious expression in her eyes had already yielded to a warm and cheerful shine, the same bright glow that had first struck Harry when he had seen her. 

"So what do you teach at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione when Serena fell silent for a couple of seconds. 

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," Serena replied. "Till now I've trained Aurors. When Professor Dumbledore told me that there was a vacancy for that subject at Hogwarts, I just couldn't say no." 

"You've trained Aurors?" said Hermione excitedly. "You must be really good, then. Almost all the professors we've had for this subject so far were a big disappointment." 

"If you can tell a werewolf from a grindylow, you're far beyond the average," Ron muttered. "And if you know how to duel you're a miracle." 

"Oh, I think, with a bit of concentration I should be able to manage that." Serena grinned. "Were your professors really that bad?" 

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. First year we had Quirrell - he stuttered like mad, could barely face a housefly, let alone duel. It turned out that he'd been possessed by You-Know-Who. He tried to kill Harry, even, but he didn't survive it." 

Serena made a face. "That sounds terrible." 

"Yeah, well, second year was worse." Ron grinned suddenly. "Did you ever hear about Gilderoy Lockhart?" 

Serena glanced at Jon, who was shaking his head, and threw her head back, bursting into laughter. "Don't tell me he taught you!" 

Ron grinned. "Yep. Remember the time he brought pixies to class, Harry?" They both sniggered. "He couldn't duel either - oh, and the Valentines!" Ron was the only one who laughed then; both Harry and Hermione had turned beet-red, probably from bad memories. Serena wondered, feeling a bit wicked, just what had happened with the Valentines - but Ron was already talking again. 

"Anyway, he's at St. Mungo's now. At the end of the year he tried to hex Harry and me." Ron sighed happily. "The spell backfired and the stupid prat blasted his own memory into oblivion - not a great loss, if you ask me." 

"Ron!" scolded Hermione, but she looked amused. 

"What? It's true!" 

Serena shook her head. "Wow, you've certainly had... interesting professors." 

"Oh, yeah," agreed Harry. "Third year was actually good, though. We had Remus Lupin -" Harry didn't notice Serena's twitch "- and he was really great. But he resigned after everyone found out he was a werewolf, because... well, you know how people are." 

Hermione looked curiously at Serena, and added, "I suppose you know him. He was friends with Harry's dad - I think they were in the same year." 

"That's right. I still remember him well. He was sort of the calming influence on the troublemaking quartet, and I remember him often looking as if he was ill, all tired and pale. When I found out that he was a werewolf, I wasn't surprised." Serena cocked an eyebrow. "And what I've heard, last year wasn't any better - with a false Alastor Moody around." 

"Yeah." Ron nodded, suddenly grinning. "But I'll never forget him turning Malfoy into a ferret for attacking from behind - that was priceless." 

"And something the real Moody'd probably do as well." Serena smiled pensively. "Anyway, I see now where the rumours about the position being jinxed come from. I wonder whether I can keep it up a bit longer." 

"If not you, who else?" interjected Jon, who had been listening intently. He grinned reassuringly at her before turning back to the other three. "How are things at Hogwarts otherwise, though?" 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione told him in turn and did their best to satisfy his curiosity: about the Professors, the students, the Houses, Hogsmeade, and the Quidditch teams. Serena sat silent and listened to them at first. But soon her mind began to wander to her own memories of her first Hogwarts school day.


	3. How it Began

_(September 1971)_

Serena Potter couldn't remember having ever been this excited before. This spring, she and her brother James had turned eleven - old enough to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While receiving a Hogwarts letter was theoretically more important for Muggle-born children, who often had no clue about possessing magical powers until that very day, the letter was quite achingly awaited by children from wizard families. After all, it was the official affirmation that they weren't Squibs. 

The twins had got their Hogwarts letters on their birthday, announcing the start of term on September 1st. Serena had been overjoyed, and the letter became so dog-eared from being read over again that it threatened to fall apart whenever she touched it. James was no less enthusiastic; they had both been waiting ages to be old enough to learn and do magic - legally, anyway. 

After their mother had taken them to Diagon Alley and bought their school supplies, Serena's sole interest was in her new schoolbooks. She'd read them all and had - with a small thrill of delight - managed some of the easier spells successfully. 

And now it was September 1st, and she had never been more excited. Today, she would finally see Hogwarts. She was already dressed at half past six, and was waiting impatiently at the front door when James wandered downstairs in his pyjamas, shaking his head in amusement over her enthusiasm. 

"Train doesn't leave before eleven," he mumbled sleepily. "You're crazy. Sit down and eat. I'm sure that Mum will get us to King's Cross on time, even if we don't leave right now." 

Much to Serena's dismay, her parents shared James' sentiments and only leisurely got ready to go. 

At ten o'clock sharp, the twins crossed the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten with their mother. Serena had pestered her family unrelentingly until they had set off and so they arrived at King's Cross Station a good deal earlier than would have been necessary. The platform was only just beginning to fill with people. Ironically enough, most of them were also families with first years who obviously couldn't be bothered to wait at home any longer. The twins dropped their baggage off into a free compartment and went back out again to say goodbye to their mother. 

"Look after your sister," she told James, who grinned patiently. "And for goodness' sake, James, _behave_ yourself. I don't want an owl a day till seventh year!" She eyed her son balefully. "And none of your shenanigans with Sirius, either, or you'll get nothing but Howlers for Christmas." Her expression softened a little and she hugged him. "And keep up your marks, you hear." 

"I will, Mum. And I'll try not to get in trouble," said James, his face the picture of innocence. Serena, however, could see his fingers crossed behind his back. Running off, he yelled over his shoulder, "Bye Mum! I'm going to go find Sirius! I'll write you when we get there!" The next moment he was gone, disappeared behind a crowd of students who gave each other a joyous welcome. 

Serena made a mental note to stay away from James and Sirius in Hogwarts. The Blacks lived practically next door to the Potters. Their son Sirius was best friends with James. Serena had quickly learned that both boys shared a penchant for pranks that had never excluded girls out of any kind of chivalry. 

She felt a touch on her arm, and looked up at her mother. _'She's getting sentimental,'_ thought Serena, wishing - a little guiltily - that she'd given her mother the mandatory hug and kiss, and run off behind James. 

"It seems just yesterday you two were toddlers, darling." Her mother smiled with wistful nostalgia, snuffling a little. "And now you're going to Hogwarts, and before we know it you'll both be grown up." She pulled Serena into a hug and whispered into her daughter's ear, "And don't believe everything your brother tells you, darling; he's usually only teasing." 

She was referring to an incident about a month back, when James and Sirius had come up with their own explanation for how the Sorting was done. Most people, they admitted, had it done the way that was described in _Hogwarts, A History_ : the Sorting Hat sat on your head, got in your mind, and figured out where you belonged. But if you were too complicated - and this almost always happened with girls, said Sirius, and James had nodded vigorously - the Hat took a bite out of your ears and used the flavour to determine where to place you. Serena had decided that no matter how wonderful Hogwarts was, she liked her ears the way they were. It had taken her father a long serious talk to convince her that the boys had only been joshing. James had been properly repentant when he'd come back home from Sirius's to find his sister arguing with their father, her arms crossed, chin out, angry tears coursing down her stubborn cheeks - but he hadn't given up teasing, and she was still wary. 

Serena hugged her mother back. "I will, Mum." 

Her mother smiled and kissed Serena's hair when the whistle blew, announcing that it was time for the train to depart. "And I'll write you when we get there - bye!" Serena called and hopped aboard before the conductor shut the door. She leaned out the window, finally spotting her mother and waving to her frantically. Her mother was waving at someone else, too, further along the train, and Serena surmised that James and Sirius had already settled into their compartment. When the train began to move, she withdrew from the window and went to join them. 

* * *

Severus cursed under his breath. If his father hadn't had to finish that bloody potion, they would have arrived earlier at King's Cross Station. But no, they had been forced to wait until the potion turned bright green and that hadn't happened until it had almost been too late for him to catch the train. When Severus finally had rushed onto platform nine and three-quarters, the conductor was about to shut the doors of the train. He had hurriedly picked up Severus, trunk and all, deposited him unceremoniously, slammed the doors shut and given the signal for the Express to leave. 

And now Severus was dragging his heavy, worn trunk along the corridor, and looking into the compartments, searching for a free seat - in vain, so far. He was just about to leave the wagon and proceed to the next one, when a black haired girl came out of it. She wasn't carrying any luggage, so she had obviously found a seat already. 

Severus moved aside to let her pass when she spoke to him. "Hello! You don't wear any House emblems. You're a first year, right? Me too! I'm Serena." She smiled merrily at him. 

"Yes, first year," he answered, unsure what to make of this cheerful girl. 

Unimpressed by his crisp answer, she glanced at his trunk and continued, "Are you still looking for a seat?" 

"I do. But all the compartments are already full, it seems." 

"You could sit with us, if you like. There should be plenty of room." 

Severus looked at her carefully. She wore simple travel robes and a cloak, no Muggle attire. And while she looked excited, she didn't have the half-terrified, half-amazed look that he had seen on some obviously Muggle-born children. The chances were good that she was from a wizarding family then. 

His father had told him that every peasant was accepted at Hogwarts and that he should be careful with the choice of his friends. Snape senior would have rather sent Severus to Durmstrang, where the admission requirements weren't so lax. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to send his son to a school that was so far away. 

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Thank you. I'm Severus, by the way." 

She showed him her radiant smile again. Then she turned around, and he followed her to her compartment. Just before she opened the door, he peered into the window. 

The compartment was already occupied by two black-haired boys, apparently also first years. One was talking excitedly. He had glasses and untidy hair, and he looked oddly like Serena. Severus wondered if he had forgotten to comb his hair after he had climbed out of bed, or if he was always a mess. The other one was laughing at something the bespectacled boy had said, his eyes dancing with mischief. 

They walked in, and the pair turned around. "Is it okay if he sits with us?" Serena asked. "The train's practically full, and he hasn't a seat yet." 

"Sure, come in," said the boy with the messy hair. 

Severus grunted as he shoved his trunk under a seat. "Thanks. I'm Severus Snape," he said, sitting down next to Serena, who had taken a seat by the window. 

"James Potter," said the boy with glasses. "I'm Serena's brother. And this loon is Sirius Black," he added, grinning, as if the other boy wasn't capable of speaking for himself. 

Sirius punched his arm, and they promptly fell to tussling. Serena rolled her eyes. "They're always like that," she told Severus. "People think they're brothers sometimes - they're always playing, and they act about four." 

"Oi!" called James, obviously disagreeing with Serena's assessment. Having evidently lost the brief wrestling match, he wiped his glasses and pushed them back on his nose. 

Severus eyed him and Serena thoughtfully. They looked very much alike, though they didn't act it. "So you and James are twins, aren't you?" he asked Serena. 

She nodded. "Yeah, but Jim's about ten minutes older - " 

"Twelve," interrupted James. 

"Eleven and a half. Anyway, that's why he's convinced he's my big brother and he's got to watch out for me." 

"When he's not sticking ice down your shirt and putting frogs in your bed," sniggered Sirius. Serena rolled her eyes. 

"But now that we're at Hogwarts, he can't watch over me any longer," Serena said with utter conviction. 

"Why?" Severus and James asked simultaneously. 

"Because we'll be sorted into different Houses, and then he won't be able to follow me around any more." 

"How do you know what House you'll be in?" asked Severus curiously. "I thought the Sorting Hat decided, not us." 

"I'll manage it somehow," Serena answered confidently. 

"I'm hurt," said James, not looking hurt at all. "Are you really that tired of me, little sis?" He made puppy eyes, and then winked at her. "You know, if you try to trick the Sorting Hat it'll bite your ear off..." Waggling his eyebrows, he grinned. 

"Shut up, you don't scare me anymore!" Serena pulled the hair clasp from her ponytail and threw it at James. But he ducked and it hit Sirius, who yelped, and then it fell down. James promptly picked the clasp up and threw it back at Serena. Severus caught it, though. 

"I think I'm glad I'm an only child," he muttered, handing the cat-shaped clasp back to Serena. 

"I hear you, mate," said Sirius cheerfully. "If you ever need a sister, though, you can always help James with Serena - she'll end up killing him someday otherwise." He dodged James's swing at his head and laughed. 

"So which House do you think you'll get into?" James asked, "I'm thinking Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, because my parents were in them." 

"I'll surely go where James goes. We're brothers in the spirit." Sirius added. 

Severus hesitated a moment and then said, "Only a few of my relatives have gone to Hogwarts, and all of them were in Slytherin. If I'm not in Slytherin, my father's probably going to kill me." 

James watched Severus with sudden vigilance. No one seemed to know what to say to that. 

Serena finally broke the awkward silence. "Slytherin sounds exciting. At any rate, Jim won't end up in that House, so there I wouldn't be bothered by him." 

James stared at her, flabbergasted. "Are you mental?" he asked incredulously. "Almost every Dark Wizard -" he looked at Severus and stopped, but everyone knew what he was going to say. _Almost every Dark Wizard who ever lived came out of Slytherin._

"So it's time someone nice like me improved the statistics, right?" Serena replied mockingly. 

She tried to look serious, but her twinkling eyes gave her away. James had opened his mouth to answer her sharply, but noticed the treacherous grin threatening to break at her lips, and started to laugh. It was infectious. Sirius and Serena joined in, and even Severus couldn't remain serious when he saw Serena's look. The nearly unbearable tension that had built up in the compartment suddenly evaporated. They spent the rest of the trip talking and joking around with less delicate subjects, and the hours flew by until dusk fell and the train slowed down and finally stopped. 

* * *

The students poured out of the train onto the platform where they were greeted by a loud voice. "Firs' years! Firs' years, over here! Firs' years!" 

The voice belonged to a huge man. He looked...well, _wild_ , with his long bushy hair and the bristling black beard that covered most of his face. The first years crowded slowly around him and most of them looked rather uneasy. But the huge man grinned disarmingly, and boomed, "I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper and Keeper o' Keys at Hogwarts. _Firs' years, over here_!" he bellowed again, and the people closest to him clapped their hands over their ears and winced. 

When all first years were gathered, Hagrid led them along a short, narrow path, which ended by a large lake. In the darkness of the falling night, the calm water looked like petroleum, black and motionless. Serena's jaw dropped, and her eyes were all for the sight on the other side of the lake. 

There, atop a mountain, sat Hogwarts, their destination. It was absolutely huge, with a hundred soaring towers and great battlements. Countless lighted windows were set in the vast stone walls, glittering there like a million diamonds. She had already seen pictures of Hogwarts, but in real life it was far more impressive, even at this distance. 

The first years crossed the lake with small boats, which skittered swiftly over the water by their own power. The boats entered a tunnel, hidden behind a curtain of ivy. It led into a cave right underneath the castle where they finally docked. 

After climbing up a flight of stone steps, following Hagrid through a passageway and up more stairs, they came to a large oak front door. A witch stood there, already waiting for them. She wore emerald green robes and strange looking square glasses, through which she looked them over sternly. Her dark hair was drawn severely back into a tight bun, and it crossed Serena's mind that if she relaxed her face and put down her hair, she would look quite nice. The witch ushered them all through the entrance hall and into a small chamber before giving them what was probably only the first of many welcoming speeches. 

"Welcome to Hogwarts, everyone. I am Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. In a moment, you will be Sorted into one of four Houses. As some of you may know, these are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. You will remain in your House for the duration of your stay at Hogwarts, and you will earn - or lose - House points depending upon your results at school and your behaviour and willingness to obey rules. At year's end, the House with the most points will win the Inter-House Championship, which is an achievement of much honour and prestige for the House. 

"In a moment you will enter the Great Hall, where the other students are already waiting. You will form a line in front of the High Table and then wait until your name is called. After you have been Sorted, you will sit at the table of your respective House and then it is the next student's turn. Any questions?" 

Nobody had a question - or at least nobody dared to ask the stern looking witch anything - so Professor McGonagall opened a door in the wall and looked at something behind it. After a few seconds she nodded and moved to let the students enter. They stepped into the Great Hall and formed a line in front of the High Table as requested. Serena chanced a look upwards at Hogwarts' famed enchanted ceiling and caught her breath. Clouds wandered across the dark sky and occasionally hid some stars. It really was beautiful. She had read about it, but then, reading about something wasn't the same as actually seeing it. 

Professor McGonagall brought in an old stool with an even older hat sitting on it. She placed both in front of the first years and stepped aside. While the Sorting Hat started to sing, Serena looked around curiously, and gulped a little. She had only just realised that there were several hundred students there, all sitting at four long tables and all staring at the first years. She wondered, again, which table she would be sitting at for the next seven years. 

After the Sorting Hat had finished its song, they were called up in alphabetical order to be Sorted. Each person perched on the stool with the Hat on their head. It was usually a little while before the Hat opened up at the brim and yelled a House name for the whole hall to hear, but with some it took hardly any time. Serena still watched the sky at the ceiling, but her ears pricked up when she heard a familiar name. 

"Black, Sirius," became a Gryffindor almost instantly. Then came a Ravenclaw, two Hufflepuffs, and a Slytherin. Serena tried to memorize all the names, but soon gave up and just watched. After some deliberation, "Pettigrew, Peter," was made Gryffindor, too. The sound of his name made Serena's heart start pounding. They were already at 'P'. The next one could be Jim. And as it happened, while Peter sat down next to Sirius, "Potter, James," was called. It wasn't quite as immediate as it had been with Sirius - Serena grinned, thinking that the hat was probably weighing Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw - but it finally bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!" 

James sat down at the table of his new House amid loud applause and cheers and the next name was read out. "Potter, Serena!" 

Now it was her turn. While she walked up to the stool, Serena pondered about which House she actually wanted to be in. When she had said on the train that she wanted to be somewhere else than her brother she had meant it in earnest. But did she have any sort of influence on the hat's decision at all? 

The Sorting Hat took her surroundings from sight when it slipped down over her ears and nose. It was just too big for a child's head. Was it originally made for an adult, and therefore for a completely different purpose, perhaps? 

"Oh, that was such a long time ago that I no longer remember," said a faint voice in Serena's ear. 

_'You can hear my thoughts,'_ she thought, amazed. 

"Of course I can. How am I supposed to Sort you otherwise?" 

_'So you won't bite me?'_

"You're not the first one to ask that, believe me. For the record, I won't." 

Relief flooded through her. Now that she knew for sure that her ears were safe, she relaxed considerably. 

Meanwhile the hat continued. "Well, let's see...brave, certainly, and you've got your heart in the right place. You're clever, eager, and you want to prove yourself, do you? These are very Gryffindor-like traits..." 

_'Oh no, anything but Gryffindor,'_ Serena thought, trying to keep disappointment from creeping up. 

"I'm not finished yet! But I'm not sorting you elsewhere simply because you want to show you can cope without your brother. Hmm, what else... not a bad mind, not at all... you've got ambition, more obstinacy than what's good for you, and a clear capacity for ruthlessness. You really would go to a great deal of trouble to achieve your aims, wouldn't you? Well, then, better be SLYTHERIN!" 

Serena heard the hat shouting the last word into the Great Hall. The students at the Slytherin table applauded thunderously to welcome their new House member. On her way to the table she caught a glimpse of her brother who stared at her, clearly shocked. She quickly averted her eyes and sat down. 

Meanwhile the Sorting continued. "Snape, Severus," the boy who had sat with her on the train, was the next Slytherin. He sat down beside her again and raised his eyebrows. 

"I thought you were only joking when you said you wanted to be a Slytherin." With a sidelong glance at James he added, "And I guess your brother believed it as well." 

Serena shrugged. "Either way, it's too late to change it now. And I bet Slytherin waited a long time for someone sweet and charming as me." She grinned wickedly, looking anything but sweet and charming. Despite himself, Severus grinned back. 

During the feast, Serena watched the other students at her table. It seemed that the horror stories about Slytherin were grossly exaggerated. Serena could judge people fairly well and had seldom needed to correct her first impression about anyone. And to her, all these students appeared to be relatively normal. 

Admittedly, there were also a few who were quite arrogant or just mean, but such people could be found everywhere. The worst seemed to be a second year named Lucius Malfoy. Serena had heard her parents talking about the Malfoys. They were an old family, though not always popular, and it was whispered that they were among those who gave Slytherin House its reputation. 

Lucius didn't miss an opportunity to let everyone know about his wealth. A born braggart. And spoiled, she noticed. He was now going on about his new racing broom, and Quidditch, and sneering over at the Gryffindor table. 

Serena looked at his icy grey eyes. People said eyes were the windows to someone's soul. If Lucius had a soul - a broad assumption, it looked like - it would be colder than death, and about as kind. When Lucius noticed Serena staring at him, he met her gaze. A cold shiver ran down her spine and she quickly averted her eyes. She resolved at once to stay as far away from him as possible. 

But on the other hand, there were also many nice students - like Severus, who had come out of his shell and was smiling, and Narcissa, a pretty blonde who was sitting across from her. Certainly she would get on well with them.


	4. Learning the Ropes

_(September 1995)_

As the majestic castle came into view, Serena exclaimed in awe, "Wow, Hogwarts still looks the way I remember it - hasn't changed a bit! Jon, isn't it beautiful?" 

Jon nodded in agreement. The high towers and countless windows in the huge castle impressed him. Warwick's had been enormous too, but it didn't have the grandeur of Hogwarts. When they climbed the stone steps to the big double front doors, a stern looking witch waited at the end of the stairs. 

"Ah, still the same procedure," Jon could hear his mum mutter to herself, and he curiously gave the witch a closer look. Her square glasses contributed a great deal to her stern appearance, he noticed, wondering how old she was if she had been awaiting the students even in his mum's schooldays. 

The other students pressed towards the Great Hall, but Serena seized Jon's shoulder before he could follow the trio and pulled him over to the witch instead. 

"Hello, Professor McGonagall. It's lovely to see you again. This is my son, Jon. I suppose Professor Dumbledore has told you about us already. Jon, this is Professor McGonagall. She teaches Transfiguration, and she's the Head of Gryffindor House. She also conducts the Sorting Ceremony - at least, she used to." 

Professor McGonagall gave Serena a scrutinizing look. Jon thought he might have seen something like mistrust or displeasure in the professor's eyes, but it vanished immediately when she turned to him. 

"And so it is still. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jon Potter. I saw you come here with Harry. So you have met your cousin already?" 

"Yes, Ma'am." 

"You will wait here with me for the first years to arrive. Then you will enter the Great Hall with them. After the first years have been Sorted, Professor Dumbledore wishes to announce your school change. The Sorting Hat will then decide upon your House. I will explain the rest after the first years have arrived." 

Jon wasn't quite sure what to think of Professor McGonagall. He had somehow got the impression that she didn't like his mother, but that she had also tried to hide her unsavoury feelings. On the other hand, perhaps she simply was stern, and he had misinterpreted her behaviour. He decided to stay neutral for the time being and confined his answer to another, "Yes, Ma'am." 

McGonagall's expression softened a little and she gave him the barest of smiles before turning again to speak with Serena about her seating at the High Table. "... you will be sitting between Professors Snape and Sinistra," she said. 

Upon hearing this, Serena suddenly inhaled sharply and frowned. "Snape? Severus Snape? What's someone like him doing here?" she hissed. 

McGonagall arched an eyebrow. "Professor Snape is our Potions Master, and Head of Slytherin House. If you are referring to his past, I must inform you that he changed a long time ago. Professor Dumbledore trusts him, just as he trusts you," she said in a slightly reproachful tone. 

Jon looked between them, bewildered. What were they on about? Who was Snape? His mother apparently knew him and didn't like him. Jon wanted to ask what was wrong with this Snape, but just at that moment, Serena turned without another word and entered the Great Hall. 

* * *

Ron gave Hermione a nudge. "Did you see that?" 

"No, what?" 

"How Snape scowls at my aunt. If looks could kill..." explained Harry. 

Serena stood in the doorway of the entrance and looked around, apparently comparing the sight with her memories. Her gaze roamed the four long House tables that stood side by side, occupied by a vast number of students, then went up to the hundreds of candles hovering in the air and lighting the room, and finally proceeded to the enchanted ceiling above their heads that showed a clear, starry sky. 

Returning to ground level, her eyes wandered to the front and passed over the High Table, which stood at a raised platform perpendicular to the other tables. Doubtless, she recognized some of the professors who sat there, since they had already been at Hogwarts in Serena's schooldays. When she caught sight of Severus Snape, her face became stony. He was staring at her, wearing a dark expression, and his eyes were narrowed to slits. 

"Well, she's a Potter," said Ron. "He seems to hate everyone whose name's Potter. Though of course he doesn't like anyone anyway - except Malfoy, that is." 

"And she'll teach Defence. Snape's wanted that job for years," said Hermione, sounding worried. She usually didn't participate in Harry and Ron's bashing of Snape, but she couldn't ignore the fact that he had just shot another murderous glare at the new Defence professor. 

They watched Serena heaving a sigh and walking past the tables to the front. She went to Professor Dumbledore, who gave her a warm welcome. Professor McGonagall, standing next to a small side door, signalled that the first years were ready, and Serena sat down on the empty chair beside Snape. He cast her a glance, which could make one's blood curdle, but she ignored him and looked expectantly to the side door. 

From there, the first years entered the hall in a long row, lining up in front of the High Table. Jon was near the end of the line. Serena smiled and winked at him, and Jon grinned back. When Snape got sight of Jon, and saw Serena beaming at him, his expression darkened even more. 

McGonagall, following the first years, put the stool with the Sorting Hat in front of the students. Like every year, a wide tear along the brim of the hat opened like a mouth and some of the new students flinched with surprise when the hat began to sing: 

  
_Bats still fly about the towers above,  
and rats sneak in the dungeons below,  
and Hogwarts always stands up strong and tall  
because the four founders had built it so._

_They chose their students with wisdom and care,  
and never there had been a misplaced one,  
and every student turned out well,  
without any talent there had been none._

_The first of the four, lady Hufflepuff,  
most caring witch under sun and moon,  
chose those who were generous, loving, and loyal,  
from their mouths kinds words would follow soon._

_The brave, adventurous Gryffindor  
took in students with courage and strength,  
to stand true through every obstacle,  
with pride and ferocity at great length._

_Ravenclaw, lovely and intelligent,  
selected those who worked hard day by day,  
they had the brains and the will to succeed  
at Potions, transfiguring, parler francais._

_The most secretive of the four, Slytherin,  
weeded out thoroughly those whom he chose,  
seeking ambitious and cunning ones,  
and did he discover them, he kept them close._

_I carry on the traditions they made,  
now that the founders have all passed away.  
Now, I'm the seer of hearts, minds, and hopes,  
of pasts, and of futures that ahead lay._

_Take heart and place me on your rounded heads,  
full of interesting things for me there to see,  
and then I shall, here, in this very hall,  
announce your inner traits, and where you shall be. _  
__

_  
___  


____

After the Sorting Hat had finished its song, the new students were called up front. They sat down on the three-legged stool and put on the hat. For some of them, the hat needed only a few seconds, for others minutes before it shouted aloud, "HUFFLEPUFF!", "RAVENCLAW!", "GRYFFINDOR!", or "SLYTHERIN!" The students of the respective Houses applauded thunderously to welcome their new housemates. After a good half hour, all the first years had been sorted - and Jon stood alone. 

Professor Dumbledore rose slowly from his seat. "As you can see, we have another new student this year. His name is Jonathan Potter. He attended Warwick's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United States, and has now transferred to Hogwarts, into his fifth year." He smiled benignly. "Of course, Mister Potter must be Sorted as well - so, let's see what the hat has to say." 

Suddenly a whispering started all about the hall. 

"Potter? Did he say Potter?" 

"He looks a bit like Harry." 

"Are they related?" 

"But isn't all of Harry's magical family dead?" 

All craned their necks to get a glimpse of the new student. When the Sorting Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" the Gryffindors cheered and clapped their hands. Harry, Ron, and Hermione applauded louder than anyone else. 

At the High Table, Snape turned to Serena and opened his mouth. Judging by the scoffing look on his face he was about to make a snide remark, probably about her son being in a different House than his mother. The High Table was too far away for them to hear what he said, but it caused Serena to clench her teeth and pointedly look to the professor seated on her other side. 

Professor Dumbledore rose again and spoke. 

"My dear students," he said, "I warmly welcome you back to Hogwarts. I hope you have had a good rest during your holidays and are ready to start the new school year with renewed strength. Before the feast begins, I would like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Serena Potter." 

Serena rose for a moment from her seat and waved briefly to the students. She was greeted with a storm of applause. 

Jon asked amazed, "But they don't know my mum yet. Do new professors always get such a boisterous welcome?" 

Hermione laughed. "Well, all new professors usually get applause. But I reckon most of the students are especially glad that, once again, Professor Snape didn't get the job." 

Finally the applause faded away and Dumbledore declared that the feast was to begin. Lots of bowls and plates appeared, filled with masses of delicious dishes, and the students tucked in. 

At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy grimaced disdainfully, and muttered, "Another Potter! At this rate, they'll overrun the place along with that Weasley filth. And an American - I bet he's dumber than The Boy Who Lives To Annoy Us." Draco rolled his eyes. "I suppose the new professor's his mother - I wonder if Father knows anything about her." 

Pansy Parkinson wrinkled her nose. "She doesn't look like a professor; she doesn't seem as if she was capable of opposing the Dark Arts at all - so tiny! And so eager, like that horrible Granger." 

Draco snorted contemptuously. "She'll be worse than Lockhart - she'd probably run away screaming if she saw a boggart. If she can run; she looks scrawnier than Lupin. I wish Professor Snape taught Defence; bet he'd have some lessons worth going to!" 

Across from him, Crabbe and Goyle just nodded, their mouths too full to agree verbally. 

* * *

Before he had come to Hogwarts, Jon had attended Warwick's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was also a boarding school. It had been founded by Wilbert Warwick, a Hogwarts alumnus who had left England to find his fortune in America in the 18th century. He had done a fairly good impression of Hogwarts, even if he hadn't set up different Houses. The school was located in a large castle in the Rocky Mountains, in a very lonely area. Like Hogwarts, it was protected and hidden from Muggles by various enchantments. If a Muggle should wander astray and happen to come near the school, he would see nothing except high rocks. 

Because Warwick's was set up on the model of Hogwarts, Jon hadn't much difficulties becoming accustomed to his new surroundings. 

During the following days, Harry peppered Jon with questions: about his life in the States, about Serena, and if Jon knew anything about James and Lily. Jon tried to answer all questions as well as possible, racking his brains for everything his mum had ever told him about her youth. He spent almost every waking minute with Ron, Harry, and Hermione, and within a week he realised that they had accepted him into their little group. 

The professors he had had lessons with so far were friendly and seemed to ignore his famous family name. Well, they had already had four years to get used to Harry, who was the very reason his surname was renowned. 

The school year started without incidents, and the first week of school was almost over. The normal, daily routines had settled in, not only for Jon but for the others as well. The first years began to find the way to their classrooms on their own. The older students had already exchanged their share of holiday stories, and began to settle down and focus on their schoolwork. 

Jon had had to reevaluate his opinion of Professor McGonagall. On the first morning at breakfast he had cast a furtive glance at the High Table and had seen his mum having an animated conversation with McGonagall. He hadn't seen so much as a trace of disapproval in the professor's expression. Jon contemplated that he had perhaps only imagined it the first evening. 

It was Friday, and there were two subjects on his timetable that he hadn't yet had. First they had Defence Against the Dark Arts, which Jon had been looking forward to all week long. He hadn't experienced his mother as teacher before, but she had often helped him with his homework during the holidays. Things that he hadn't fully understood at school she had explained to him at home, and suddenly they had become perfectly clear. His mum had an astonishing talent to explain even the most difficult issues in an understandable way. Students who had already been to her class had been genuinely enthusiastic about her, and Jon had been extremely pleased - as well as a little relieved. 

In the afternoon, directly after lunch, was triple Potions with Snape. There were some exceedingly difficult potions in the fifth year syllabus, with very time-consuming preparations and long brewings; hence, three periods in a row. The students' opinions differed heavily on this. Some thought dealing with Snape only once a week was wonderful while others said that double Potions had been bad enough: stomaching Snape for three long periods in one day was asking too much. 

Jon really couldn't say that he looked forward to Potions as much as he did to the lessons with his mother. It wasn't the subject - he really loved Potions. It was that he just couldn't get it out of his mind how Snape had glared at him on that first evening, when Professor Dumbledore had introduced him to the rest of the school. Besides that, he had heard enough about Snape's bias, his biting sarcasm and unfairness. Unless you were a Slytherin, Potions wasn't a bed of roses. 

When Jon entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, his mum was already there and reading a book. She lifted her head and greeted him with a beaming smile. 

As usual, Jon grinned back, when suddenly Ron who was directly behind him stumbled and bumped into him, his face a brilliant Weasley red. He looked a little flustered - much the way Jon sometimes found himself around Hermione. 

But Hermione was still in the hall, he realised - he could hear her voice, and she was talking quite rapidly to someone else. Jon stared at Ron, not quite willing to comprehend. It was only his mum. Sure, she was beaming at them, but she was his mum... 

Harry, who had taken a seat next to Ron, seemed to have similar thoughts. Five years around his best friend had clued him to the telltale hint of the red ears. He looked from his aunt to his best friend and grinned. He missed seeing Jon's queasy look - a queasy look that grew worse when Jon caught several other fifth years directing admiring glances at his mother, who was thankfully oblivious. 

A moment later, Hermione rushed in, wisps of hair already coming loose from her braid. Jon concentrated on the way the loose chestnut curls lay against her smooth neck, trying his best to push the thought that his mother could possibly appeal to fifteen year old students out of his head. 

When the bell rang, his mum finally put down her book and surveyed the class. 

"Hello, and welcome to fifth year Defence Against the Dark Arts," she began, "I'm Serena Potter - and, before I go on to today's syllabus, I'd like to dispel a few rumors. Yes, I'm Jon's mother, and yes, we've been living in the States, and no, I'm not married." 

She rolled her eyes at the last comment, as if she had spent the last few days with repeatedly answering that question. "And yes, I'm also Harry's aunt." Half the class darted glances at Harry who didn't seem comfortable with the sudden attention. Serena went on as if she hadn't noticed, "I was once a student at Hogwarts myself. A Slytherin, if that's of interest to you. I've spent the past decade training recruits at the American Auror Academy. Now I took a leave of absence from the AAA to teach here. Anything else you may have heard is made-up, exaggerated, or wrongly communicated. And now, enough about me - I'd like to know who you are. Please introduce yourselves and tell me a bit about you." 

Parvati Patil was the first person on the first row. She hesitated a moment, but then she got up, quickly said her name, hesitated again, and then added that she liked Divination and came from a big Indian family and had a twin sister in Ravenclaw. Next came her neighbour, Lavender Brown, and the other students, one after another, row by row. 

Some time later it was Jon's turn. He rose to his feet, an impish gleam in his eyes. A few students giggled quietly. 

"Jonathan Potter, your only son," he announced with a steady voice and sat down again. 

"Nice to meet you," Serena answered seriously - and then she broke into a grin. 

The whole class broke into laughter. After it died away, Seamus Finnigan continued the round of introductions. 

When the introductions were finished, Serena's eyes scanned the class, and for a moment, they were very serious. She got to her feet and started walking through the aisles, talking as she went. The students' gazes followed her, some a little too keenly for Jon's perfect peace of mind. 

"This year's coursework is going to be a little ... different. You'll study the usual defense mechanisms, of course - in fact, today we'll begin with protection spells - but we'll be moving on to offense rather quickly. When you find yourself in a perilous situation, an unexpected attack is an effective way to defend yourself. I don't know what you've been told, and I'd rather not be responsible for a mass panic, but the magical world is different now, darker. So you're going to need to know how to survive, and I'm going to teach you." 

Serena's face lit up again and she said cheerfully, "Now that you're all properly impressed, can anyone tell me exactly what protection spells do?" 

Immediately, Hermione's hand rose into the air. 

"Miss Granger?" 

"Protection spells protect someone from curses or other magical sources of danger." 

"That's right. Five points to Gryffindor. As I've heard, you've learned about the Unforgivable Curses last year. Well, there are spells that can even protect you from them. Harry Potter here is the living proof. However, such spells are extraordinarily difficult and successful attempts are often accidental and greatly dependent upon the caster - far more than most other types of magic. You'll learn the easier ones here. Now, can anyone tell me the difference between protection spells and counter curses?" 

Again, Hermione was the first to stretch her hand into the air - but Jon's hand was right behind hers. This time, Serena nodded at her son. 

"Counter curses neutralise the effects of a curse which has already hit. Protection spells prevent curses and any other kind of magical danger from hitting at all." 

"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor." Serena arched an eyebrow at the class. "Impressive that you appear to know so much already before the first lesson. However, in view of the O.W.L. tests that you'll do in a few months, notes would still be advisable." 

Quills and parchment were pulled out of bags with about half the grumbling any other teacher would have faced. 

"Does anyone already know a protection spell?" 

Hermione was first to have her hand up again, but this time she was followed by both Harry and Jon. 

"Mr. Potter..." When Harry and Jon started to speak simultaneously, she added quickly, "... Harry, I mean." 

"The Patronus," he answered. 

"Right you are. And what's the purpose of the Patronus Spell?" 

"To ward off Dementors." 

"Correct. Five points. The Patronus Spell is one of the more powerful protection spells - we'll be coming back to it later this year. Mr. Finnigan?" 

"Is Expelliarmus a protection spell? I mean, if you disarm somebody you're protecting yourself from what he might've cursed you with otherwise," said Seamus, sounding a little hesitant. 

Serena smiled, amused. "No, Mr. Finnigan, Expelliarmus doesn't count as protection spell. But your viewpoint has something in it." She looked around. "Can you name any more protection spells?" 

Neville named two common charms used when dealing with the more vicious plant species. 

"You like Herbology, do you?" Serena answered. "Well, you're right. Those spells are a bit different from most protection spells - but nevertheless they are protection spells." Neville looked a little stunned when she gave him ten points for his contribution. 

So they went on for a while. The students named spells and Serena explained them in further details. For correct protection spells she assigned points to the students. But sometimes she shook resolutely her head. 

"No, Miss Brown, the Engorgement Charm really doesn't belong to the protection spells, even if your mother uses it to protect your baby brother from stuffing things in his mouth..." 

After a while, the class was running out of ideas, but they had quickly got the impression that they hadn't named a certain spell Serena had been waiting for. 

"Professor, are you thinking of any spell in particular?" 

"As it happens, I am indeed, Mr. Thomas. Think of a very common spell that's often used to ward off minor inconveniences." 

Hermione, who had spent most of fourth year helping Harry learn spells for the Triwizard Tournament, was the first to guess it. 

"The Shield Charm!" 

"Correct! Very good, Miss Granger - five points to Gryffindor." 

Serena stopped pacing and perched on her desk. A few students snickered when her legs dangled almost a foot off the floor. She pulled a mock-scowl before going on. "Shield Charms are a dueler's most common aid, because they're so universal. You don't have to waste time with recalling the according protection against the hex that is fired at you. You just cast a Shield Charm and are on the safe side in ninety percent of the cases. 

"Shield Charms come in various strengths. The simpler ones would probably ward off most spells any of you could manage. There are others that can handle quite nasty hexes. And finally there are a few that take particularly skilled wizards years to perfect, though, they could ward off even the Cruciatus Curse." 

"Can you do that?" asked Neville, wide-eyed. "Ward off the Cruciatus?" 

Serena shook her head. "To my regret, no," she answered. Hesitating a moment, she added softly, almost to herself, "Although there's been a time when I sincerely wished I could." Only a few people near the front caught that comment. Jon gazed intently at her, concerned, while Harry, who had already experienced the Cruciatus Curse, simply looked a bit sick. 

A knock came from the door and Serena's expression brightened up again. 

"Come in!" she called. The door opened and Madame Pomfrey entered the classroom. 

"Well!" said Serena, turning to the students again, "We're done with the theory for today." Her eyes twinkled with anticipation. "We come to the practical part of the lesson - when you'll find out for yourselves just how effective a Shield Charm can be." 

Her voice took on a conspirative undertone. "I'll give you permission to do something you aren't usually allowed to do. I'm going to cast a Shield Charm, and all of you can throw any hex you like at me. If you manage to break my shield, it'll be thirty points to your House." She grinned mischievously. "If you don't, an extra four inches on your next essay. Fair enough?" 

When no one answered, she added, "As you can see, I asked Madame Pomfrey for assistance. Just in case one of you manages to do any harm, she'll undo it quickly. So don't hesitate to use your best efforts." 

She leaned backwards over the desk and produced something from her bag that looked like a toy parrot, placing it on the table. Then she hopped off the desk and drew a circle around her with her wand, casting the spell. 

Lavender Brown shrieked a little when beams of white light shot up through the circle Serena had drawn. The beams glowed for a moment before curving inward and shimmering into transparency. Their professor was now shut away in an invisible bell-shaped force field. 

"Shield Charms can reflect or absorb curses. To minimize possible damage through ricochets, this one's going to absorb," said Serena. "In duels, however, it's highly advisable to use the reflecting kind; there's always a chance to harm your opponents with their own curses." 

Lazily flicking her wand at the parrot on her desk, she added, "You have five minutes. All right - start!" 

The parrot, which had been quivering, suddenly fluttered its wings, squawking loudly, "Kraa! Begin now! Kraa!" Then he fell silent again. 

If it had been, for example, Snape inside the shield instead of Serena, the barrage of curses would probably have been a bit nastier and a bit more enthusiastic. As it was, each curse raced at Serena only to slam into the shield and disappear in a shower of sparks. Someone screamed, startled by the shield's reaction. Serena, on the other hand, looked absolutely thrilled, listening carefully which incantations the students were using. 

Jon wondered if they were aware that they were being tested. His mum checked unobtrusively the level of their practical skills to get an impression of where to start with her lessons, and this was certainly much more effective than a written test. 

Suddenly Harry had an idea, and he, Hermione, Ron, and Jon put their heads together so that he could explain it to them. After some seconds all nodded and turned towards Serena. All four aimed at the same spot and said simultaneously, " _Diffindo_!" 

When the fourfold-intensified spell hit the shield, the magical field bent dangerously inwards. Serena's expression looked suddenly much more concentrated, but the shield held on. They wanted to try it again, but the parrot fluttered suddenly its wings and squawked in a deafening voice, "Kraa! Time's over! Stop! Kraa!" 

Serena smiled and let the shield vanish. "Not bad, you four. Aiming together was a good idea, but you'd have done better if you'd chosen a stronger spell. Nevertheless, you put my shield in serious danger - so we'll compromise. Fifteen points to Gryffindor and only two more inches on your essay." 

The class erupted into a cacophony of cheers and groans, only to be interrupted by the bell. They looked at one another, surprised. Time had flown by. 

Serena called after them as they stampeded out, "Don't forget to study the theory behind Shield Charms - next class, you'll try this spell yourselves. Dismissed."


	5. Forte and Weakness

_(September 1971)_

The first day of school had come and flashed by, and the second day had followed suit quickly. Serena was in high spirits. She had fallen in love with Hogwarts almost instantly, from the trick staircases and winding corridors to the immense grounds to the lessons themselves. True, no class was in any way easy, but they weren't too hard either. 

And for the first time, there was an endless wealth of magical knowledge waiting for her - and nobody was keeping it from her or warning her away. Serena, like many a bright first year before her, could hardly wait to take it all in. 

Even History of Magic with ancient Professor Binns didn't faze her. Most of the class had fallen asleep ten minutes into the lesson, but Serena managed to hang on to every word. Only James came close to matching her drive. 

Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall quickly became her favourite subject. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had Transfiguration first, and they gave the other first years an excited and somewhat garbled description of McGonagall's first lesson, along with dire warnings about its difficulty. 

They weren't disappointed. McGonagall really was an Animagus, and she really could turn furniture into animals. They were all very excited and couldn't wait to begin. 

After taking a lot of complicated notes, the students started with something supposedly easy. Their first task was to transfigure a match into a needle. It turned out to be a lot harder than it had looked when Professor McGonagall had demonstrated it. 

Many students tried in vain. The first one who managed it was, to Serena's mild annoyance, her brother James. She had scowled murderously at the stubborn match on her desk and lifted her wand again, when she overheard James muttering to Sirius that it really was easy; you only had to imagine a needle and firmly believe the match would become one. 

Serena tried it - and to her delight, it worked! There were only two other students who also managed it; McGonagall gave them a rare smile and five points each. 

James still hadn't spoken to her - not that day nor the next. He had been incensed when his sister was sorted into Slytherin, and it was three full days before he finally set aside pride and spoke to her at breakfast. Serena was relieved when he did; no matter what either of them said, she loved James intensely and cared very much about what he thought of her. 

Serena managed to convince James that she wouldn't mutate into a Dark Witch just because she was a Slytherin; and she convinced herself, too. Though she would have rather jumped off the Astronomy tower than admit it, she had been a little worried when she got into Slytherin. But she had quickly realized that she had been right all along: Most Slytherins were far better than their reputation. Especially Severus, the boy from the train - hardly a week and they were already nearly inseparable. 

So when her fourth day at Hogwarts dawned, Serena rolled out of bed as blissful as ever. 

Entering the Potions classroom, Serena looked around in delight. The Potions class was easily twice as big as any other classroom, a huge, high-ceilinged circular room with bay windows lining the walls and providing a gorgeous view of the grounds. Sunlight poured inside like molten gold, illuminating various odd things floating inside the glass jars that lined the back shelves. In any other place, the jars would have been creepy; in the airy Potions class, they merely looked interesting. 

Their teacher was an old wrinkled little wizard with a shaggy mane of pure white hair that all but hid his face, and clutching at his gnarled walking stick, he told them that he was Professor Avenicus Godpot, Potions Master. 

"He looks as if he's here only because he's forgotten to retire," Severus whispered in Serena's ear shortly after the lesson had begun. Both snickered quietly, but Professor Godpot had still keen ears despite his old age, and Slytherin lost five points. 

As it was their first Potions lesson, Professor Godpot wanted the students to start with something easy - as they were told in each class so far, Serena noticed. 

"A cure for boils," explained Professor Godpot, "which is relatively simple and unlikely to be dangerous should any of you slip up." 

Serena had no intention of slipping up, so it was most unfortunate that she gave in to a particularly violent sneeze while weighing her dried nettles. The neat heap of nettles on the scales flew up into a dusty green billow that settled on her hair, her robes, and all over the floor. 

Serena spent the next ten minutes trying to sweep nettles off the floor, off her hair, and off her robes as laughter bubbled up from the Gryffindor side of the room. She didn't look to see if James had joined in. 

_'Shit happens, but I'm not letting it ruin my mood'_ , thought Serena stubbornly, as she gathered her nettles with a stony face and all the dignity she could muster. 

But Potions simply wasn't her field. Only a few minutes after she spilled horned slugs all over the desk, Severus barely managed to stop Serena from throwing a frog toe into the cauldron. 

"Can't you read?" he snapped. "The formula said salamander toes. Frog toes reverse the effect of most potions. Or do you want to _get_ boils?" 

Serena was taken aback. "How do you know that? Did you already try?" 

"My father works for the village apothecary", Severus told her. "I've been helping him brew potions since I was five." 

"Really? I tried to help my mum make a Sleeping Draught once, but it exploded somehow and we had to renovate the basement. She said then that she wasn't taking any more risks and that I'd just have to wait for Hogwarts." She sighed. "Not that I've done much better here." 

Severus raised his eyebrows in understandable disbelief. "So there's something the amazing Serena can't do? There's something a Potter is actually bad at?" 

She gave a hollow laugh. "Bad? Look what I've already done - and this is just the first class, and it's not even over yet. It's going to be worse than just bad!" 

* * *

It wasn't long before Severus realised that Serena hadn't exaggerated. Ten minutes later, he could hear her yelp with pain and burst out passionately, "Oh, I hate this!" 

"What now?" Severus asked, looking at her. He groaned as he saw the answer for himself. He had made Serena grind the snake fangs, figuring she couldn't mess this up - but somehow, she had. The fine white powder was blotched with bright red. 

"I stuck my finger too far into the mill!" she wailed, waving her hand in front of his face as if he couldn't see it. "And I've ruined the powder!" She collapsed into her chair, lower lip trembling. 

Finger pads are very well supplied with blood, and so it gushed from the wound like mad, making the injury look far worse than it really was. Quickly wrapping his handkerchief around Serena's finger, Severus lectured her, annoyed, "My goodness! It can't be that difficult to use a mill - and why did you use it in the first place? You were supposed to use the mortar! ... Serena?" 

Serena did not seem to have heard anything he had said. She was staring numbly at the handkerchief, which was going from white to crimson rather quickly. 

Professor Godpot, who had overheard their exchange, stepped to their desk. "Miss Potter, come along! I'll take you to the hospital wing. The nurse will heal your finger in a minute... Miss Potter, aren't you well?" 

Serena looked quite sick indeed. Her face had become whiter than the limestone wall of the classroom. "I'm okay," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's just that I can't stand the sight of -" 

She didn't finish. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her mouth flopped limply open, and she fell forward on the desk with a thud, narrowly missing the ruined snake fang powder. 

James looked up at the thud and yelled, horrified, "SERENA!" He threw himself forward, only to have Professor Godpot stop him. 

"Sit down, Mr. Potter! She's fine, she's only fainted. I'll take her up to the infirmary - Mr. Black, put that firework away or I shall put you into detention - and meanwhile, Miss Evans, try to maintain order while I'm gone." 

Professor Godpot conjured up a floating stretcher, laid Serena down on it, and left the room with the stretcher in tow. Ten minutes later he returned alone, and the rest of the lesson passed without further incident. 

* * *

Serena resurfaced at lunchtime, none the worse for her ordeal. Her cheeks were flushed with healthy colour and her finger was as good as new. 

"You all right?" Severus asked around a mouthful of shepherd's pie. 

"Fine, thanks. The nurse gave me chocolate. It was sooo delicious! And she'd healed my finger even before I woke up..." Serena trailed off, and Severus followed her gaze to the Gryffindor table. 

At that moment, Sirius was re-enacting the Potions lesson. He stared horrified at his finger and then pretended to pass out. There was scattered laughter, but James scowled and smacked the back of Sirius' head. Then he looked at the Slytherin table in concern. He met Serena's eyes and gave her a reassuring smile before turning back to his lunch. 

Serena poked morosely at her food, her appetite gone. 

"Don't take it to heart. Black's not happy unless he's got someone to mock. He'll have forgotten it by tomorrow", Severus said, trying to cheer her up. "By the way, here are the notes from the lesson. I've also gathered your stuff and brought it with me." 

Serena rewarded him with a brilliant smile. "Hey, that's really sweet of you! Thanks, Sev." 

"Never mind. And my name is Severus." 

"I know." 

"Then don't call me _Sev_!" 

"Oh, come off it, Severus is too bloody long, and it's so stuffy. You'll get used to it." 

"No", he grumbled, " _You'll_ get used to using my correct name, no matter how long and stuffy you think it is." 

"Sure, Sev," Serena replied distractedly, glaring daggers at Sirius, who was now smirking at her with his insufferable arrogance. 

Annoyed at the nickname, and miffed at being ignored, Severus finished his lunch quickly, stabbing at his potatoes with more vehemence than necessary. 

* * *

Serena's high spirits of the morning had disappeared with the sun that evening. She had got the impression that everyone had heard about what had happened in Potions. Students whispered and giggled when she walked past them. By the time she settled down in her common room to study with Severus and Narcissa, she was in no mood to bandy with Lucius Malfoy. 

"And here's the little sissy", drawled Lucius, approaching her with his hands hidden behind his back. "Passes out as soon as she sees some blood! And you call yourself a Slytherin? The Sorting Hat must've made a mistake there, as far as I know all weaklings go into Hufflepuff!" 

Obviously he had also heard about the little incident. 

"Oh, sod off, Malfoy!" Serena snapped. 

Lucius regarded her insolently. Then he stuck out his finger. Serena saw that he had pricked it, and a single drop of red blood was swelling up, bright against his pale skin. He held his finger close to her face and laughed. 

"Do you see that? Blood! Feeling queasy yet?" 

Serena glanced at his finger and back at him, refusing to lose her cool. "That little bit?" she spat. "No, that's not enough. Why don't you slash your stomach open? I promise I'll faint when your guts gush out." 

She heard some other students laugh, and felt a fierce surge of triumph. Lucius' pale, pointed face flushed with anger, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Watch your mouth", he said coldly. "You don't want to start something you can't finish." 

Severus rolled his eyes at Lucius' retreating back. "Stupid git. Just ignore him," he grunted. Serena watched him scanning a Charms text, and there was something comforting about his casual dismissal of Lucius that made her forget him too. 

* * *

Thursday arrived, and Gryffindor and Slytherin had their first Flying lesson together, which almost every first year had been looking forward to, but none so much as the Potter twins. Their father had taken them to the Quidditch World Cup in the summer. They had watched the final, fascinated, and had been highly impressed with the players and their breakneck stunts. England had won for the first time in sixteen years, and after the match, their father had introduced his children to Chaser Ricky Llewellyn, who he had gone to school with in some distant past. 

They had gone home two blissful hours later, not only clutching two red Quaffles autographed by the entire team, but having had their first flying lesson on the Quidditch pitch for the World Cup. And their ears rang with Ricky's parting comment to their dad: "You've brought a pair of naturals into the world there. If not at least one of them gets on their House team, my name's not Llewellyn." 

Their mother had been less than pleased. A mediwitch for ten years before deciding to get married and stay at home, she had been dead set against her children flying before getting to Hogwarts. Besides, it was an hour's drive into the country before they were far enough from prying Muggle eyes to risk flying. 

But after the World Cup, the twins had talked about nothing but Quidditch for the two weeks until term started. And now, at last, they could fly again. 

Severus did not share Serena's enthusiasm. He gave only a weary gesture of refusal. "I can fly about as well as a Unicorn", he said. "I'm useless at Quidditch, and besides, I don't see the point in hunting flying balls." 

"Spoilsport," said Serena, and dragged a reluctant Severus to their first lesson. 

They arrived breathless and barely on time, only to find that not only would they be learning with the Gryffindors - "Rotten luck," said Severus bitterly, and Serena, thinking of Sirius, could only agree - but also with the second years. 

"Why?" demanded Serena, outraged. "They had all last year -" 

"ATTENTION!" roared a male voice. 

Everyone jumped and wheeled around to see a tall, heavyset man stumping onto the field. 

"That's him," Serena heard a boy say in a hushed tone. "Oswald Sherman - best Beater England ever had - he was bad sick last year, couldn't teach - but he's back, can you believe it?" 

_'That explains it'_ , thought Serena sourly. _'The second years are making up for last year. Great, Malfoy_ and _Sirius learning with us.'_

"Second years, you're working with Madam Hooch!" he barked, pointing at a younger witch behind him. She looked a bit nervous; it was her first year teaching at Hogwarts. "Most of you should know something about flying already, so no first year shenanigans!" 

Then he turned to the first years. "YOU! Go stand by a broom over there!" When they all stared at him, he roared, "Get moving!" 

They moved. Within seconds each of them was standing next to a broomstick. 

Sherman proved to be a more patient teacher than he looked and sounded. After rattling off some flying basics, he had them hold their hands over their brooms and call, "Up!" A few brooms gave feeble upwards lurches, others rolled over or didn't move. Only two more students beside the Potter twins had any luck getting their brooms up. They exchanged excited glances. 

After they had all managed to get their broom up at least once, Sherman taught them how to sit, how to grip, how to steer. And finally, finally, he gave the order Serena and James had been longing for. 

"All right, you lot - let me see you hover! If you feel comfortable with that, fly a few circles and try landing. Everyone - UP!" 

The twins immediately shot up together. James let go of his broom and punched both fists in the air, whooping loudly, earning him a roar from Sherman. "NO STUPID TRICKS, POTTER!" 

James quickly grasped his broom with both hands, looking contrite. "Sorry, Sir!" 

But when Sherman wasn't looking, he whooped again - softly this time - and did a loop-de-loop to let off his feelings. 

Serena understood perfectly. She had felt the same rush of uncontrollable joy and excitement when she had lifted off. 

They flew circles to please Sherman and watched their classmates. Some of them took to the air easily and confidently, while some seemed content flying circles five feet off the ground, and still others were just hovering nervously. Severus was of the latter type; he had turned a delicate shade of green, and while he could fly a slow, steady circle, his shaking hands gave him away. 

Serena dipped towards him; he yelled in panic and nearly toppled off. "AUGH! Don't do that!" She zoomed away while he shakily regained his seat. It would be a while before he would feel comfortable flying close to anyone. 

Something whipped past Serena, nearly unseating her, and she yelped. 

"JIM!" James grinned at his sister like a Cheshire cat; she dived after him, laughing, and they chased each other around the pitch until Serena finally stopped to catch her breath. At that moment, someone grabbed her long ponytail and yanked, hard. Serena shrieked. The hand pulled away quickly, taking her hair clasp with it, and then Serena couldn't see anything anymore with her dark hair flying over her face. She shoved it away, furious, only to see Lucius Malfoy speeding away, clutching her hair clasp. 

"GIVE IT BACK!" she screamed. Half the students were watching now. Serena pointed her broom at Malfoy and sped after him. "Give it back!" 

James also plunged towards him then, from the side, and Lucius only just managed to escape. He looked at Serena. 

"What, can't you do anything without big brother?" he yelled back at her. "Get it yourself!" 

James stopped abruptly in midair and grinned at his sister. "Go on, get it!" 

She didn't hear him; she was already racing after Lucius, who was now flying over the lake. He turned towards her and waved the hair clasp, smirking, and then began tossing it and catching it. 

When he - not so unintentionally - missed it, Serena felt hot rage rise within her and oust everything else. "You are throwing my hair clasp into the lake?" she howled furiously. "Then you will personally fish it out of the water again!" 

She accelerated her broomstick and lunged at him. 

Lucius' derisive grin became stony when he saw Serena approaching. Moments ago, he had seen her lunge the same way at James, who, instead of taking a scare, hadn't batted an eye. She had shot straight past him, not touching him; it looked like the same sort of lunge now. 

Only this time, Serena had no intention of missing, and when Lucius finally realized she wasn't feinting, it was already too late. She barreled into him and he was off his broom and in the air. 

Serena watched pleased how he was pushed off the broom and fell down like a stone. Lucius hadn't much time to cry out before he plunged into the water with a satisfying splash. 

Coach Sherman, who heard a cry coming from the lake, looked up and saw two things: firstly, Lucius Malfoy, wildly thrashing his arms around and finally falling into the lake, while Serena Potter hovered above him and held his broomstick. Secondly, and this was much more frightening, he saw James Potter doing a hazardous nosedive with his broom at the same time. When Sherman thought the boy would hit the surface of the lake and break his neck, James pulled his broom round at the very last moment and held something triumphantly in the air. 

Seeing that neither Serena nor James made a move to help Lucius, the Coach grabbed a broom, flew as fast as he could over to them, and fished the shivering boy out of the cold water. After he had given them a good dressing down and a deduction of ten points for both Serena and Lucius he drew James aside. 

"That was very impressive how you sped after your sister's hair clasp and caught it before it could vanish in the depths of the lake forever. Reckless and dangerous, but still impressive. As you maybe know, one of the Gryffindor Chasers will leave Hogwarts at the end of this year. I expect you to apply for his position then." 

* * *

When Severus entered the Slytherin common room that evening, he found Serena sitting by the window and staring forcedly at her hand. Approaching her, he noticed that her face was white as a sheet and her expression was a mixture of defiance, resolution, and fury. 

Worried, he asked her, "What's wrong with you? Did you clash with Malfoy again?" 

"I won't faint! No, I won't!" she muttered ferociously through clenched teeth. "I can stand it. I'm not a weakling!" 

She seemed to speak to herself rather than answer Severus' question. Curiously, he made another step towards her to see what exactly she had done. What he saw made him cry out, "Merlin's beard, have you gone mad! What's that supposed to be?" 

Serena had cut across her palm with a knife. Crimson red liquid had welled up from the gash and some drops of blood had already fallen onto the windowsill. Shaking like a leaf, but filled with fierce determination, she forced herself to watch the bleeding hand. 

"I can stand the sight of blood! I don't keel over. It's a pure matter of willpower," she answered grimly. 

Severus wiped the windowsill clean and urged Serena, "Come on, I'll take you to the nurse. Bloody hell, I really don't want to be in your skin right now! You'll get into so much trouble when a professor hears about you injuring yourself intentionally. Maybe they'll even get some therapist from St. Mungo's to speak to you..." 

"You won't take me anywhere," Serena answered with a voice as cold as ice, and wrapped her own handkerchief around her hand. "And if you tell anyone about this, I'll test how much of your blood I can stand the sight of. Got it?" 

Severus stared at her in disbelief. Slowly he nodded. The flickering in her eyes made him nervous.


	6. Potions and other Inconveniences

_(September 1995)_

The lesson with Serena Potter was the number one topic of conversation at lunchtime. All of the Gryffindors agreed - it was wonderful to finally have a normal Defence professor. She seemed to know her stuff, was apparently fair and good-tempered, and Jon assured them that she certainly was neither a werewolf nor impersonated or possessed by somebody else. 

After the lunch-break was over, the students descended the stairs to the dungeons. Potions was the next item on their schedule. The fifth year Slytherins had had Defence directly after the Gryffindors and had also been impressed. The usual feud between their Houses temporarily forgotten, they eagerly exchanged information between each other. 

"I tried the Jelly-Legs Jinx, but to no avail." 

"My _'Furnunculus'_ didn't break through either." 

"I did _'Relashio'_ , but the sparks didn't even scratch the shield." 

They were so busy that they didn't hear the bell and they jumped, frightened, when an icy voice scolded, "The lesson has already started. Have your holidays been so long that you have forgotten the meaning of a ringing bell?" Professor Snape stood in the doorway and scowled at the class. 

Quickly, they ran to their seats and sat down. Poor Neville, who stumbled over a bag, was the last one to sit, earning him a deduction of five points. 

"While you are in _my_ class room, I expect you to concentrate completely and exclusively on Potions. You may discuss other professors putting on a show in their lessons somewhere else. Have I expressed myself clearly?" He went over and sat down at his desk. 

As usual, Snape started out the lesson with the taking of the register. He read the names out loud and ticked them off when he heard a "Yes". After a while he came to "Potter, Harry." It sounded as if he had to actually force himself to even speak the name. But that didn't prevent him from putting as much venom into his voice as he could muster. 

"Yes," Harry answered. 

"Kindly speak up, you are hardly to be heard. Five points off Gryffindor." 

Jon looked disbelievingly at Harry. That had been unfair and unfounded! Harry only shrugged and cast Jon a glance that said, _'You'll get used to that.'_

Snape continued, "Potter, Jonathan." He spit the name out and looked Jon slowly up and down. "So you are our new arrival then. Don't you think you'll get special treatment just because your mother's a staff member." 

"I'd never have expected something like that," Jon answered calmly. 

Snape scrutinized Jon for a few seconds. Rising from his seat and taking some steps towards Jon's desk, he said, "Let's see how acquainted with the subject you are. I really don't appreciate it if someone spoils my lessons because of gaps in his knowledge." 

When he caustically spoke the last words, he cast a short glance at Neville. The boy jumped under Snape's gaze, but for once the Potions Master didn't comment on his reaction. 

"What ingredients do you need for Polyjuice Potion?" 

Hermione looked worriedly at Harry and whispered, "But we haven't covered that so far! If Jon doesn't know this, Snape can't possibly hold it against him." 

"But he certainly will," Harry whispered back. 

To everyone's surprise, Jon began to list all the ingredients, in the order they had to be added to the potion. Hermione gazed at him, wide-eyed with amazement. 

"That's correct," Snape growled, obviously disappointed. "What do you have to heed especially when working with fluid from Erumpent horn?" 

"It's highly explosive," Jon answered without hesitation. 

"And?" 

"If you use it in a potion, it usually becomes harmless once the potion's finished. But if you let it boil too long after that, it will gain back its explosiveness and the whole potion will become very dangerous." 

"Now list the steps for brewing the Draught of Peace!" 

This question and answer game went on for a while. Snape's questions became increasingly more difficult and even covered topics that belonged to the seventh year syllabus. But it seemed that Jon knew the answer for everything. The Potions Master's face darkened more and more. 

Finally Snape gave up. "Apparently, we have a student here who meets at least the _minimal_ prerequisites for a delicate subject like Potions. I expect you to share your knowledge with your classmates, Potter. Most of them could really do with it." 

After having said this, he returned to his desk and finished the roll call. 

"Hey, that could've been worse, couldn't it?" Jon whispered to the others. 

"I don't think Snape gives up that easily. I bet that now he'll always take points off you if someone else doesn't know something. Because you didn't teach them," Harry foretold gloomily. 

As the lesson progressed, Jon showed that it wasn't merely the compiling of the ingredients of potions that he knew about. He was also very skilled at brewing them. Snape was prowling about the rows, always keeping a look-out for mistakes that he could deduct points for. He passed Jon's cauldron particularly often, but didn't find anything to criticize. The result couldn't have been better if Snape had done it himself. Slowly, his spirits became very low. 

What Snape didn't know was that Potions was Jon's favourite subject. He was not only excellent at it, he had also been a member of the Potions Club at Warwick's. Jon had learned a lot there that was far more advanced than the potions that were on the syllabus. But even if Snape had known that, it probably wouldn't have improved his mood. 

Some minutes before the end of the lesson, while the students were cleaning up their desks, Snape approached Jon another time. 

"Doubtless your mother will be pleased to hear that you didn't blow up anything, Mr. Potter." 

Jon looked baffled at the professor. "Excuse me, Sir?" 

"She did so much damage in her school days, it would have been enough for a whole class. It is a piece of good news that you didn't inherit her ineptitude." 

Jon felt blood rushing to his head, bringing fury with it. He may not have inherited his mum's disastrous Potions talent, but her quick temper had not passed him by. The professor didn't have the right to judge her skills! 

_'Calm down!'_ he thought grimly, _'He only wants to provoke.'_

With a voice as calm as he could manage Jon answered, "My mother isn't inept. Her strengths just lie in other fields." 

The whole class held their breath. This new student dared to answer the Potions Master back! Draco followed the argument with amusement. This would certainly end up pretty embarrassing for Potter. No student had ever quarrelled with Snape and won. 

"Indeed? And this would be where?" the Potions Master asked with his trademark sneer hovering about his lips. 

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, for instance. That's why _she's_ teaching the subject and not _you_." 

That hit home. Snape almost involuntarily took a step back. His pallid face became even paler as his rage rose up. 

"You really think she's got that job because of her competency? I'll tell you what, she's only here because of one reason: The headmaster thought it would be a good idea to have her here. She's not welcome anywhere else. And this position just happened to be vacant. When you see her the next time, ask her why she left England! Ask her why she crawled away and hid abroad! If you really get an answer, you'll be surprised!" 

"She didn't hide! She certainly has more guts than you! And if you have a problem with her, then I'd suggest you discuss the matter with her, instead of me!" 

So much for self-control. With the last words Jon's voice had noticeably risen. Already, when the words had left his mouth, he had known that he shouldn't have spoken to a professor like that. Especially not to Snape, who was infamous for his short temper and foul mood. An unbearable tension built up between them. Snape looked for a moment as if he wanted to jump at Jon's throat. His hand twitched but he regained his control before actually moving it. When he opened his mouth for a retort, the bell rang. All students made a rush for the exit to get as far away as possible before Snape exploded. 

Hermione and Ron grabbed Jon's arms and pulled him out of the room. They could hear Snape shouting, "Twenty points off Gryffindor for disrespectfulness, impertinence, and impudence!" while passing the door. Then he was out of earshot. 

* * *

"Uh oh, now he has it in for you," Hermione said worriedly on the way to the Transfigurations classroom. 

"He had no right to talk about Mum that way," Jon defended himself. He could still feel his blood rushing through his veins, abounded with rage about Snape's attempt to denigrate his mother. 

Harry and Ron nodded in agreement. But Hermione wasn't mollified yet. 

"He only wanted to provoke you. You shouldn't have risen to the bait." 

"Hermione, whose side are you actually on?" Ron asked, annoyed. 

"On Gryffindor's side, of course. It's bad enough that Professor Snape deducts so many points from Harry constantly. If he has Jon in his sights now too, we can forget the House Cup." 

Before Ron could give a sharp retort, Jon, who had meanwhile calmed down a bit, tried to pacify them and insisted, "C'mon, folks! Don't let's squabble about that. Snape didn't like me already before this lesson. And I'll make it as hard as possible for him to deduct points from me in future Potions lessons. I'm seriously determined not to let my temper get the better of me again, okay? Now let's go to Transfigurations, it'll start in a minute." 

They all nodded in agreement and hurried to the Transfigurations classroom. Professor McGonagall handed out earthworms today. Parvati eyed up her specimen suspiciously and tried to shove it with the tip of her wand back to the middle of her desk. The worm tried to escape and Parvati couldn't bring herself to touch it. When Ron noticed, he nudged Harry and Jon and they watched her, grinning in amusement. 

"I said you could start. So what are you waiting for?" suddenly McGonagall's stern voice sounded right next to their desks. Startled, they looked up at her. 

"Erm, nothing, Professor," Harry answered meekly, and all three applied their attention to their respective earthworms. 

McGonagall moved along, after she had given them another stern glance. Jon racked his brains as to what he was supposed to do with his worm. He cast a clueless glance at Hermione, just like Harry and Ron did. 

"We are to transfigure our earthworm into a blindworm," she whispered in indignation. 

Oh, that was easy. At Warwick's, they had transfigured animals already at the end of the previous year. Jon remembered the blindworm he had seen last summer behind their house. It had lain in a spot of warm sunlight and scuttled off under a nearby stone when Jon had approached it. He recalled every detail of its appearance and touched the earthworm with his wand. It turned promptly into a blindworm. 

Transfigurations had always been his mum's favourite subject and she had been especially proud of Jon when he had got good marks there. She had a tendency to condone bad marks for other subjects if he presented them together with an A for Transfigurations. So he had always put a lot of effort into achieving them, which was still easier than working hard for other subjects that didn't come naturally to him. Probably he had inherited some of her talent too, which was really helpful. He liked Transfigurations, but not as much as he did Potions. However, with this particular Potions Master, it was likely to change soon. 

Jon played with the blindworm for a while, but the creature wasn't very entertaining. Bored, he petrified it to prevent it from slipping off the desk. Then he looked around and watched some of the less lucky attempts of other students. After a while most of them managed to transfigure their earthworms into halfway acceptable blindworms too. 

His wandering gaze stopped at Hermione, who sat at the desk in front of his. Her blindworm looked perfect. Just now she was transfiguring it back into an earthworm and repeating the exercise. Not that she would have been in need of it, Jon mused. But she would most likely never waste valuable time during lessons with gazing around or day-dreaming. 

Hermione clamped her lower lip between her teeth and chewed at it, and she was truly oblivious of doing so. She always did it when she concentrated. Jon had noticed this quirk already on the first school day. Since he had met her at King's Cross station, he couldn't get her out of his mind. And he just couldn't stop watching her. 

Jon had asked Harry if she had a boyfriend and unfortunately Harry had answered, "Yes." He had told Jon that it was the Seeker of the Bulgarian Quidditch team, Viktor Krum. What a lucky chap! But he was far away, playing Quidditch elsewhere, while Jon was here at Hogwarts with Hermione. Maybe Krum wasn't that lucky, was he? 

Jon looked around cautiously. Professor McGonagall was busy with Neville, whose earthworm had turned a really sickening green and had as little a similarity with a blindworm as possible. Plus, she currently had her back turned to Jon. 

_'Good,'_ he thought, _'Now or never.'_

Hoping that Hermione wouldn't hear his heart pounding like mad, he rose stealthily from his seat and aimed his wand over Hermione's shoulder. He transfigured her blindworm into a red rose and quickly sat down again. Hermione, who had been deeply immersed in her task, jumped startled and spun around. When she saw Jon smile her ears turned bright red. 

"Jon, how on earth can you give me such a jump!" she whispered reproachfully. "You should better concentrate on your..." She broke off when she saw his blindworm. "Oh, you are already finished." 

"Nice blindworm, Mr. Potter. By the way, roses were covered last year already. And I very much doubt that Miss Granger needs a demonstration how to do it," McGonagall interrupted and looked sternly at both of them. 

Hermione's ears turned an even deeper shade of red and quickly she turned again, looking straight at the blackboard at the front. Fortunately, the bell rang at that moment and distracted Professor McGonagall enough to let her forget to deduct points. This was already the second time today that Jon was rescued by the bell. Collecting his books and parchments, he noticed Hermione smelling at the rose, and finally putting it into her bag. Wasn't it a good sign that she didn't just throw it away? 

Once outside on the corridor, Hermione told Harry and Ron, "Could you please go ahead already? I have something to discuss with Jon. We'll follow later." 

Harry, who had noticed the rose as well, gave her a knowing smile that made Hermione roll her eyes. Ron smiled too, but the smile was stony and didn't reach his eyes. It seemed more like it was turning into an angry frown. But he didn't say anything and didn't resist when Harry dragged him away. 

As soon as they were out of earshot Hermione propped her hands on her hips, her whole posture emanating resentment. 

"What was that supposed to mean? Do you want Professor McGonagall to deduct points from me?" she reproached him. "And why did you stare oddly at me all through the lesson? Which you do very often, as I have noticed." 

Now it were Jon's ears that turned bright red and he started to stammer, "Oh... You noticed that... Erm, I didn't want to upset you... Actually, I wanted to tell you with that rose that... Erm..." He trailed off, suddenly not feeling as bold anymore. 

Hermione waited patiently for him to continue. Jon took a deep breath and began another attempt, "Hermione, I like you very much. And I'd like to be more for you than only a member of your clique." 

Now it was out. Expectantly, he looked into her brown eyes, searching for a sign of how she would answer his approach. Hermione's expression became a bit sad, and terribly sympathetic. That didn't look very promising. 

"Oh, Jon. That's so... sweet of you. This rose is really beautiful and it even smells wonderful." 

She inhaled deeply, again chewing at her lower lip. Her face reflected how hard her brain was working, carefully considering her next words. "I like you too. But I have already someone in my heart. And I don't feel anything for you that I feel for Viktor. I'm sorry." 

Seeing the disappointed look in Jon's eyes, she added quickly, "But we'll remain friends though, won't we?" 

"Hmm, okay," Jon mumbled and turned to leave. But his cheerful disposition didn't let him feel despondent for long. Besides, he wasn't one to display his true feelings publicly. Even if he was deeply disappointed, he'd never show it to Hermione After some steps, his expression brightened again, and he stopped, looking back at her. 

"Of course we'll remain friends," he said with a distinctly more blithely tone. "But at least I had to try, you understand?" He shrugged and even forced a smile on his face. "And you'll still introduce me to the picture of Sir Cadogan this evening, won't you?" 

Hermione nodded relieved. "I'm glad that we've settled this. And that you are able to accept a 'No'. You know, I'd already become worried because you always stared at me that strange way. I didn't know what to think of that. It gave me the creeps. Please, promise to stop it. Or stare at someone else." 

Jon grinned, albeit half-heartedly. "Okay, I'll try my best. Erm, could you perhaps recommend a girl to me who's also worth staring at?" 

* * *

Ron's mood improved tremendously after Jon had filled him and Harry in on the result of his discussion with Hermione at dinner. But this was only a short bright spot in the evening. Right after dinner Jon got in trouble with Argus Filch. Jon had already lost more points for Gryffindor than he had earned today and Filch seemed determined to make the outcome even worse. They were on their way back to the Gryffindor tower, when Jon suddenly heard his name being called. He turned and faced the caretaker at the end of a side corridor who glared daggers at him. 

"What have you been up to? I haven't seen Filch that angry in ages," Ron asked and earned a shrug and an I-have-no-clue look from Jon. 

"Jonathan Potter! Come here, immediately!" Filch snarled again. 

Jon started to move. He saw that Filch held something furry and black in his right hand. Moving closer, he recognized Spike, his tomcat. Filch had grabbed him by his collar, and Spike was as wet as a drowned rat. 

"Yes, Mr. Filch?" Jon asked when he had reached him. He put on the most honest and innocent expression he could muster. 

But it didn't work. Or Filch was simply too livid to notice it. "If I catch that bloody beast molesting Mrs. Norris again, I'll wring his neck. Understand?" the caretaker growled. 

"Molesting?" Jon repeated, unable to hide both his surprise and his amusement. 

But Filch was anything but amused. "You know what I mean. I had to douse it with a bucket of cold water in order to make it get off poor Mrs. Norris. This makes five points off Gryffindor!" 

Filch dropped Spike roughly and stalked off, enraged. 

"Spike _molested_ Mrs. Norris?" Hermione asked sceptically. 

"Oh, I don't know... she isn't that pretty of a cat. Spike could easily find something better, I suppose," Harry joshed, chuckling, while Jon used a drying charm on Spike. 

* * *

"Lucius Malfoy, come in! Wormtail said, you had important news for me?" 

Lucius Malfoy bowed low. "Yes, my Lord. I have news from Hogwarts. My son has written about his new professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts." 

"And why should that be important for me?" Voldemort asked condescendingly. 

"The professor's name's Serena Potter." 

These words managed to attract the undivided attention of the hooded figure facing Lucius. The piercing red eyes seemed to glow more intensely than they had just a moment before. 

"Serena Potter! So that little wench has left her hole, then? Does she think that she doesn't have to dread me anymore?" Voldemort hissed. 

"And there is something else, Master. She has a son. His name's Jonathan and he's also at Hogwarts." 

"A son?" Voldemort's ugly, inhumanly face twisted into a malicious grin. "That should make it even easier for us to punish her appropriately. It shouldn't be too difficult to get hold of the boy. And once we have him she'll probably put herself into our hands rather willingly. She thought she could deceive me. And she even thought she could escape punishment. But after all these years she'll realize that Lord Voldemort won't forget or forgive. I'll have her pay for what she did! Lucius, bring her son to me, but alive. I'm looking forward to have her watch her son die a slow and painful death." 

Lucius bowed again, expecting to be dismissed, when the Dark Lord continued, "If we do it right, we could kill two birds with one stone. What do you think? How far would she go if she believed it would save her own son? As far as handing over her nephew?" 

The cruel, sinister laugh that filled the air made even Lucius Malfoy shudder. 

* * *

If Jon thought Friday had been a hell of a day, he learned on Saturday that no matter how lousy a day was there would always be another day to cap it - like Saturday. Additionally, he learned that life was a lot more fun if you had friends to spend your time with. 

After having been unable to answer even half of Harry's questions, he had asked his mother if she could tell Harry more. She had agreed and they visited her on Saturday afternoon. Harry had hardly been able to wait for the weekend. Since he didn't often have the opportunity to talk about his parents with people who had actually known them, and who were also willing to talk to him about them, his impatience was understandable. 

Jon and Harry entered Serena's quarters directly after lunch. Hermione rather wanted to go to the library and study and had insisted that Ron accompanied her. Serena beckoned her visitors to three huge, quite worn-out looking armchairs in front of the fireplace. 

"That's exactly the same look that one of the house-elves gave them when they arrived from home," Serena commented, amused by Harry's sceptical expression regarding the armchairs. "But they are clean and outrageously comfortable, believe me." 

Jon nodded in agreement. "These armchairs are the only pieces of furniture that Mum cannot live without. But if I'm not entirely mistaken we had only two. Where'd that third one come from?" 

"I did a Copy Spell. I thought it might be a good idea if Harry doesn't have to sit on the floor," Serena replied, smiling. 

As soon as she had served tea and biscuits, Harry started to bombard her with questions and she tried to answer them as thoroughly as she could. All went well as long as Harry kept asking about his parents. Serena told anecdotes from James' life and gave vivid descriptions of a lot of pranks that 'The Unholy Quartet' had played, particularly on Snape. More than once they burst into fits of laughter and needed several minutes to calm down enough to be able to speak again. 

Since Jon was more interested in information about his mum's childhood than the life of an uncle he'd never known, he was the first to notice. Serena told a lot about James, a good deal about his friends, and a bit about Lily, but as good as nothing about herself. She always managed to dodge these questions from Harry, give vague answers, or unobtrusively change the subject back to James. 

At length, Harry noted it as well when he asked her for the reason why no one had ever mentioned her to him. He refused to accept her excuse that it was a long story and already late, and that she'd tell him another time. 

"I'd rather to miss dinner and hear this story," Harry insisted. 

"No, you won't. Eating's important, especially since you're still growing." 

"Oh come on, it's not the end of the world to miss a dinner. I... Wait a moment... You're doing it again!" 

"Doing what?" 

"Changing the subject. Evading my question. But it won't work. I won't discuss the pros and cons of eating meals at regular times with you. I want to know why no one felt compelled to say 'Harry, you might want to know that you have an aunt, and she's a witch, and alive'!" 

"But I can't see into people's minds. How should I know what their reasons were?" 

"Well, I suppose, you've got an idea. At least you know why _you_ stayed away from me." 

Jon followed the discussion with much interest. Usually his mother didn't tell what she didn't want to, and there was no point in trying to persuade her. He had had that experience more than once already. If Harry should contrive the impossible, Jon wanted to know how. 

Serena fell silent for a while, thinking carefully about her answer. Her expression was rather unhappy when she sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Harry. I can't tell you." She hesitated a moment and repeated then, shaking her head, "No, I can't. Not yet." 

Harry was taken aback. "What do you mean you can't?" 

"You wouldn't understand it. You'd want explanations I can't give. I'd have to tell you things you aren't supposed to know. And without any explanation," she seemed to consider the possibility for a moment but then shook her head again, "no, that wouldn't work." 

"I can keep a secret." 

"I don't doubt it. But I can't tell. I'm sorry." 

Harry stared at her, hurt suddenly creeping all over his face. "You can't or you don't want to? You never bothered to visit, or even to write. Not a single bloody birthday card! If there were a plausible reason for that, you'd tell me. But you don't!" 

He drew air sharply through his now clenched teeth. Rising from his armchair, he leaned over Serena and sputtered, "I'll tell you what I think: You just weren't interested in me. You had your own son, your own family, so why should you bother to look after your brother's offspring! And people didn't tell me because they wanted to spare me the embarrassment of hearing about another aunt that doesn't want to have anything to do with me! But don't worry, I wont force my company on you!" 

Without waiting for a reply, he spun around and stormed out. Shocked, Serena stared at the door that had slammed shut behind Harry. Sighing, she tilted her head and massaged her temples with her fingertips. 

Jon asked bewildered: "Mum, why won't you follow him? Tell him that he's wrong!" 

Serena shook her head without taking her hands away. "I can't," came the response, muffled through the sleeves of her robe that hung in front of her face. Another deep sigh followed and then she finally lifted her head. Her incredibly tired looking eyes met his. 

"I wish I could tell him everything. I wish I could tell you. But it's too dangerous for anyone to know. I told my story once, to people I completely trusted, and it ended in a disaster. I won't repeat this mistake." 

Jon opened his mouth to assure her that her secrets were safe with him and Harry, but Serena raised her hand to silence him and continued. 

"I know you wouldn't betray me. But there are always methods to force certain information out of someone. The last thing I want is to put you in danger. Maybe it would be the best to just let Harry believe he's right." 

After having said this, Serena resolved to sit unmoving and watch the flames that greedily licked the logs in the fireplace. If she was deep in thought or just staring, Jon couldn't tell. 

* * *

When Jon entered the common room a little later he was greeted with angry glares from Ron. Apparently he had got tired of spending time in the library with a swotting Hermione and had returned to the common room. Harry was also there, but he ignored Jon. Judging by Ron's glares, Harry had already told him about the visit and how it ended. 

Before Jon could say anything to Harry, Ron cut him short, "Spare your efforts. Harry doesn't want to talk to you." 

"And he can't tell me that himself?" 

"Are you deaf? He doesn't want to talk to you! He said that if you don't speak to him, he could do so as well." 

"But I have no problem speaking to him," Jon replied, looking intently at Harry, who avoided returning Jon's gaze. 

"Until it comes to the answer of a certain question. And by no means an unimportant question, I might add." 

Harry was still trying to ignore the argument going on about him, but his forehead was crumpled in a deep frown. 

"You confuse something here, Ron. Beside from the fact that I don't know about that either - it wasn't me who refused to answer," Jon said, unwilling to let the subject drop now and leave it until Harry had calmed down. 

"But your mother did. And certainly you're taking her side." 

"Her side? I wasn't aware that I had to choose a side. I didn't even know there were sides." 

"Now you know. And since I'm taking Harry's side, I won't be talking to you either." To emphasize his last sentence, Ron demonstratively folded his arms and averted his gaze from Jon. 

"Are you sure that you do that only from loyalty to Harry or is it because you are sour that I advanced Hermione and you hadn't the guts to do it?" 

Harry looked highly irritated that the argument still wasn't over and that he couldn't sulk in peace. On the contrary, the volume of both voices had increased considerably. Fortunately there were only a few other students in the common room, but they followed the dispute attentively, partly with interest and partly with annoyance about the disturbance. 

Ron gasped for air with indignation. "How can you talk such rubbish! I'm not in the slightest bit interested in Hermione! And even if I was - and I am NOT - why should I be jealous of her turning you down?" 

"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!" Harry suddenly shouted. And speaking to Jon, despite his determination, he added, "Leave me alone, I don't need your sympathetic company. I have enough friends. I was fine without you, and that hasn't changed." 

Now it was Jon who looked hurt. But only for a few seconds, before he forced his face into an unreadable expression. 

"Oh, I understand. You were only so nice and friendly because you wanted something from me. And now that I've told you everything I know about your bloody parents, I'm no longer of use for you. Thank you very much! And I was so foolish to believe you'd like me. To think we were friends - stupid me! So you don't want to talk. Fine. Now I don't want to either." 

Jon spun around and strode hurriedly towards the painting and out of the common room. In his current mood, he couldn't care less if Harry would answer back, deny it, or just glare daggers at Jon.


	7. Disasters and Decisions

_(June 1976)_

Only two more weeks were to pass, and then the school year would be history, and the summer holidays would begin. Five of Serena's seven school years at Hogwarts would be over by then. The days since her first arrival at Hogwarts had been filled with plenty of learning, having fun with friends like Severus and Narcissa, and quarrelling with members of the other Houses, particularly Gryffindor. The students had grown older and, in the case of a few, more mature. 

The library was almost completely occupied by fifth years in these days. This year's exams, too imminent to be neglected any longer, were the most important ones so far, because they resulted in more or less O.W.L.s. 

Serena was still a good student and wasn't afraid of most exams. She had always considered it a question of honour to achieve results at least as good as her brother. This wasn't easy, as he was an excellent student. But she worked hard to keep up with him, and they were on par in most subjects. 

However, there was one subject that gave her a headache every time she thought about it, and the approaching exam caused her many sleepless nights. There was no chance for her to become even half as good at Potions as her brother - or anyone else in her year, for that matter. She would have been quite content if she had at least been decent, but she could still describe her Potions skills only as disastrous. Her brain seemed to refuse to absorb any information that had to do with Potions. And worse, it seemed to snap out of operation as soon as it was asked to brew a potion. In the best case, the resulting concoctions had no effect at all. But often they had an effect, but not the desired one. And more often she didn't even get to the point when the effect could be tested, because she blew everything up before the potion was finished. 

She would need a wonder in order to not fail the Potions exam. She took a deep breath and knocked on Professor Godpot's door. 

* * *

Severus had mixed feelings about the upcoming exams too. He wasn't as easy with learning as Serena, particularly at subjects that required a lot of 'silly wand waving', as he often called it. Fortunately, Serena and Severus complemented each other perfectly. He was a Potions natural and attempted to help her, even if it seemed to be useless. Her evident insusceptibility to anything concerning this subject regularly put a heavy strain on his patience. Nevertheless, he still worked together with her in Potions lessons, if only to prevent Serena from blowing up the cauldron too often. As long as Professor Godpot wasn't watching closely, Severus made sure Serena wouldn't do more than prepare the ingredients and kept her as far away as possible from the cauldron. 

On the other hand, Serena was very talented with Transfigurations, which was Severus' weak subject. So she took her time to help him with that subject as much as she could, in return for all of his help. 

When she had showed him what she had done to her cat-shaped hair clasp, he had been impressed. After Lucius Malfoy had yanked it from her ponytail during their first flying lesson, she used a Sticking Charm so that it held onto her hair and no one could remove it. Step by step she had refined the enchantment. By now, she, and only she, could take it off and on again, and without having to renew the charm each time. When she pulled her hair in a ponytail, the cat sprang to life and curled itself around her hair, holding it together with its paws and tail. 

Severus hadn't believed he could manage something even remotely elaborate as this. Patiently, Serena had explained step by step what she had done, and it hadn't sounded as complicated as the result looked. Finally, she had removed the charm from the clasp and had Severus try to restore it. 

After a few attempts, the cat indeed had stretched and then curled itself around her hair. It looked a little disfigured - the ears were too long for a cat, and the long tail had shrunken to a short stub. But it served its purpose. Serena had noted that it looked more like a lynx now. She hadn't corrected it, or made him try to improve it. 

Severus wasn't sure if she really liked the 'lynx' better or if she was just polite, but seeing that she wore it even more often than before and handled the clasp like a little treasure gave him a warm feeling deep inside. 

He sighed. He would need her help again. Frustrated, he slammed his Transfigurations book shut. After reading the same chapter three times, it still refused to make any sense. He decided to wait for Serena and let her explain it. She had gone to the library with Narcissa, but they should return anytime soon. 

While he waited, he gazed out of the window, letting his mind wander. Over the past years he and Serena had become very close friends. Actually, she was the only person whom he considered his friend. Serena also spent a lot of time with Narcissa, and often all three joined for homework or trips to Hogsmeade. But still, Severus didn't count Narcissa as a friend, but rather an acquaintance. 

The entrance door to the Slytherin common room opened and Narcissa entered. But it wasn't Serena who accompanied her; it was Bellatrix, another Slytherin girl. 

Narcissa spent her time about equally with Serena and Bellatrix, but never with both at the same time. Bellatrix came from a well-off, snobbish family and regarded Severus as below her just because he wasn't rich. This shallow behaviour, however, had soon entered her in Serena's bad books. How Narcissa managed to be friends with both girls who were filled with great antipathy for each other was a puzzle to Severus. 

But it seemed as if such complicated relations were a speciality of girls. Serena achieved the same, being friends with him and also keeping close contact to her brother. Severus had never tried to interfere with it, afraid that she could choose James over himself if Severus forced her to take a side. Maybe that was also Narcissa's secret? 

With growing dismay he watched them come closer. They were obviously intentionally heading towards him. 

"Hello Severus." Narcissa approached him, friendly as always and seemingly oblivious of the disdainful expression in Bellatrix' face because Narcissa was talking to the poor loner. 

"Hello Narcissa," he answered, deliberately ignoring Bellatrix. 

"Serena wants you to know that she's returning later, in case you might be waiting for her. She wanted to discuss something with Professor Godpot." 

Severus nodded. "Okay, thank you." 

He couldn't say more - like asking how much later Serena would come back - because Bellatrix had already grabbed Narcissa's arm and dragged her away. While both retreated to the girls' dormitories, he could overhear Bellatrix reproachfully whispering to Narcissa about being the messenger-girl for Serena and Severus, and that being far below her. Severus was sure that Bellatrix had meant for him to hear it. And he knew that it riled her all the more that her nasty comments never affected or hurt him because he just didn't care about her opinion of him. 

Bellatrix was like Lucius - neither friend nor enemy, more like an inconvenience whose presence had to be endured, or rather ignored. If nothing else, his father had taught him two things: How to make the strongest potions and how to survive in the magical community. And an important rule was not to cross those families who had influence and power. 

Because it worked effectively with Lucius and Bellatrix, Severus had long ago decided to ignore the other students as well. His reputation as the one with the fastest duelling wand and an extensive knowledge about curses, including a wide assortment of Dark ones, had benefited this scheme. It had caused the other students to refrain from bothering him by seeking his enmity, but also his friendship. They left him alone and he was pretty much content with it. 

Unfortunately, that didn't mean that he had no enemies at Hogwarts at all. It was impossible to ignore Serena's brother and his three dunderheads. At first Severus had strived to behave at least neutral towards them for Serena's sake. But they hadn't been that caring. They had tried to decry him and talk Serena out of being friends with him. After clashing violently with them on more than one occasion he had abandoned his reserve, and now they were living in open defiance of each other, very much to Serena's displeasure. 

Severus especially hated the fact that they frequently got up to mischief, often at his expense, but rarely got caught and punished. He had clandestinely followed them for a while and tried to report them to the professors, but always without success. Severus could never prove anything. Even if he had been lucky and got a piece of evidence, one of the four always came up with a plausible and innocent explanation. 

One day Professor McGonagall had sighed and said in a decidedly upset tone, "Mr. Snape, kindly quit cooking up tales and casting aspersions upon your fellow students. If this demeanour doesn't stop, I will find myself compelled to take a large amount of points from Slytherin." 

He snorted sullenly. Of course McGonagall believed her esteemed Gryffindors more than him, the sneaky Slytherin. She especially couldn't conceive the idea of goody-goody James Potter being able to break rules. 

James Potter! Severus loathed him as much as he liked Serena. Her brother was the head of the unholy quartet and it always made Severus gag to see the oh-so-typical Gryffindor loyalty that already bordered on devotion in the eyes of the other three when looking at Potter. 

But he didn't only have the admiration of his cronies, no; he was one of the most popular students at Hogwarts - with students and professors alike. And as if that wasn't enough, he also had everything else he could wish for. Potter was one of the Gryffindor Chasers and was also team captain. The Gryffindor team was bloody successful - and of course Potter was credited with it as if the other six players weren't doing anything. That he was Prefect as well was almost an inessential. He always got top marks, and sometimes Severus suspected that it just didn't occur to the professors to give such a model student less. Potter had everything, and it seemed to fall into his lap, without him working hard for it. 

Severus took a deep breath. It wouldn't get him anywhere to get worked up over it. At the moment Potter might be up, but someday Severus would turn the tables. He was sure that one day he would get his revenge. But that day was still far away, unlike the Transfiguration exam that hung over him like a sort of Damocles. 

At this moment, the door to the Slytherin common room opened again and this time it was Serena who entered. She looked around with a searching gaze and as soon as she had spotted Severus, she purposefully strode over to him. 

"Hey, Sev," she greeted him cheerfully. 

Severus cringed at the way she addressed him. Heaps of times he had told her that he hated this stupid nickname. Nobody else dared to call him anything but 'Severus' or 'Mr. Snape', but Serena seemed to be oblivious to his aversion to 'Sev'. Around the end of the second year he had finally given up trying to change her behaviour. He had got fed up with talking to her when she simply wouldn't listen to him. But it still made him wince when he heard her call him that. 

"Hello Serena," he replied. "I could do with some help from you. I don't understand this Transfiguration stuff. This chapter doesn't make any sense." He held up his book to show her what he meant. 

"Of course I'll help you. Basically, it's fairly simple. You only need to concentrate the right way. Then you'll feel it. It's not mysterious or tricky or something," she answered lightly. 

"Oh yes, that helped me terrifically," Severus replied, sarcasm protruding from his voice. "I'd appreciate it very much if you could go a bit more into detail." 

"Erm, sure, but could you do me a favour first? You know, I'm abysmal at Potions and I'm afraid I won't pass the exam with a bit more training. You're brilliant at Potions, so could you accompany me, right now? I really want to be back before curfew. We could work on your problem afterwards." 

"Accompany? Where to?" he asked curiously. 

Serena held a piece of parchment under his nose while she explained, "Professor Godpot allowed me to use the Potions classroom, so that I can practice for the exam. While I was in the library, I wrote down all of the potions we've learned this year. I've crossed out all of those that need longer to brew than the duration of the exam. I've also removed all potions from the list that Professor Godpot mentioned would not be asked about. I've eliminated some more potions for other reasons, and so I cut the number of potions that could be in the practical part of the exam down to three. And now I'd like to practice those three." 

Severus looked at the list in front of his face. It was actually a long list but, with the exception of three potions, all were crossed out. This was indeed a smart approach to prepare for the exam, he had to admit. "Okay, and which potion do you want to attempt at first?" 

"I thought Veritaserum would be nice to begin with. Its success is easily verified. Because it forces one to answer all questions truthfully, you only need to ask me something and I'll try to lie to you." 

* * *

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Potions classroom. Serena had brought an empty bottle with her. If she should really manage to brew Veritaserum, she wanted to keep a sample. 

She could use it on Bellatrix, for instance. Serena had always wondered if Bellatrix was a genuine seer or if she only was showing off to become the Divination professor's pet. Serena tended to believe the latter, since the prophecies that Bellatrix made were absolutely cryptic. They always left enough space to read into them whatever was necessary to make them apply to a real event. 

And you never knew when it would come in handy to have some truth potion ready to be used. 

Serena hadn't told Severus about this. She doubted that he'd reproach her for rule-breaking or worse, report her. But she was afraid of him being too fond of her plan. He could be tempted to use the serum to get back on James and his friends, and she didn't like that thought very much. Of course she couldn't prevent Severus from stocking up with Veritaserum on his own, but she hoped he would be too occupied with helping her to hit upon that idea. 

"You have to crush the scarab beetles into smaller pieces!" 

"Wait until the Kappa bile has dissolved completely! The potion will clot if you add the Jobberknoll feathers before." 

"Stir faster, it almost boiled over!" 

Serena began to wonder if it really had been a good idea to ask Severus for help. He constantly found something to criticize. In addition, he always seemed to take it as a personal affront if she messed up a potion. But on the other hand, she wouldn't have come that far without him. 

"Well, we're almost done. As soon as the potion has turned clear, you must add three salamander toes. Then it has to simmer exactly five more minutes and we're through with it," he explained the next steps. 

Using her sleeve, Serena wiped the sweat off her forehead and yelped in sudden pain. Unaware of having dunked the bottom of her long sleeve into the cauldron, she had scalded her forehead with the soaked, hot fabric. Severus reacted promptly and sprayed her face with a fluid that eased the pain almost instantly. Because Serena frequently came in involuntary contact with boiling liquids, he never entered the Potions classroom without a spray-bottle filled with Skin-Healing Potion in his pocket. 

Serena sighed. They had already worked on the serum for nearly an hour, and she hadn't blown it up yet. It even had the right consistency and colour. And it started to become transparent. 

When it was all clear, Serena added three frog toes and watched the clock on the wall while the potion continued to simmer. After exactly five minutes she took a ladle and filled it. Severus went to a shelf in search of a beaker, complaining vociferously that there wasn't a single beaker clean enough to drink from it. Serena used the opportunity to quickly take the empty bottle out of her robe and fill it with some of the clear liquid. As Severus scourgified one of the beakers, she corked her bottle and hid it again in a pocket of her robe. 

When Severus returned, she filled the beaker he had brought and asked eagerly, "How is it?" 

He lifted the potion to his nose and sniffed at it. "Scent and colour are correct. Now we should test its effects." 

"Okay, but promise not to ask something embarrassing." 

Severus nodded, not quite succeeding to keep a straight face. Serena took the beaker, and after a last suspicious glance at him, she swallowed a small sip of the liquid. She didn't die immediately, so she looked expectantly at Severus, awaiting his question. 

"What's your name?" he asked. 

"Wow, _that's_ an original question! Albus Dumbledore of course... Oh, crap!" Disappointed, Serena put the beaker down. 

Severus frowned slightly. "That's strange. Actually you did everything right. You've added crushed dragon fangs, Kappa bile, Jobberknoll feathers, Erumpent horn liquid..." 

He went on listing all the ingredients, nodding after each as a sign that he had seen her adding it to the cauldron. 

"... and salamander toes. Hmm, you've added everything, we didn't forget an ingredient. So why doesn't it work?" 

Serena froze at his mention of the last component. Salamander toes? Didn't he say frog toes? She was almost certain to have thrown frog toes into the cauldron. Damnit, she never could tell one from the other. Turning around to check it, she opened her eyes wide in fright. She had forgotten to put out the fire under the cauldron. The potion had continued to boil and had expanded to a degree that exceeded the capacity of the cauldron. The overflown liquid was running across the desk and nearing the edge of the table. 

Serena gave Severus, who still was staring thoughtfully in the other direction, a dig into his ribs. As soon as he turned around and realized what was happening, he grabbed roughly Serena's arm and dragged her hurriedly towards the door. 

"You haven't extinguished the fire! How could you forget that! The Erumpent horn liquid becomes highly explosive again if you let it boil too long!" he scolded. 

As if by command there was a deafening bang, followed by loud crackling and rumbling. The shock wave hurled both of them out of the door, which had been flung open by Severus' wand just the second before. 

* * *

"Are you hurt?" Severus asked after a few moments. 

"No, and you?" 

Serena coughed violently because the air was thick with dust. After a short glimpse at Severus, seeing a thin red line emerging from his left eyebrow, she quickly averted her gaze. Over the years Serena had tried all sorts of ways to overcome that weakness, but still the sight of blood stirred a well-known and highly unwelcome feeling inside her stomach. She distracted herself from it by cautiously cleaning her eyes. 

Unaware of her uneasiness, Severus answered, "I think, I broke my wrist when I tried to catch my fall. At least, it hurts terribly." As if to prove it, Severus gave a grunt of pain. 

"One isn't supposed to catch a fall with one's hands. It's better to roll over," Serena commented absentmindedly, shaking her head in order to get the white, ubiquitous dust out of her hair. Unfortunately, this action produced another dusty cloud around her and made her sneeze. 

"And Veritaserum is supposed to be taken off the fire as soon as it's finished! Even you should know that!" Severus snapped angrily back, showing as little sympathy for her as Serena had shown for him beforehand. 

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful the next time," she replied in a more remorseful tone. 

But it didn't mollify him. He was livid and his wrist hurt awfully. It was all Serena's fault and she seemed not even to regret it appropriately. 

While he got up to his feet, carefully avoiding putting any weight onto his right arm, he spoke harshly to her, "The next time? Surely not! You've almost got us killed! You and Potions are two things that shouldn't be combined in any case! There won't be a next time; I'm not going to risk my life again! I don't want to be killed by your clumsiness!" 

He inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm down, when Mr. Filch rounded the corner, followed closely by Professors Dumbledore and Godpot. 

"What on earth has happened here?" Dumbledore asked, looking concerned at the picture of misery on the floor, also known as Serena. 

"Sev let the cauldron explode," she murmured miserably. 

Severus protested indignantly and vehemently. How could she dare to blame him! Not he, no, Serena was the walking catastrophe! He was only the unlucky fellow who had to suffer from her! 

While he ranted on, Professor Godpot walked over to the door, which had been torn off its hinges by the force of the explosion. He swept away the clouds of smoke and dust with a flick of his wand and gasped in shock. 

"Merlin's beard!" he groaned. "I should have known it was a mistake to allow Miss Potter to practice here!" 

Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Filch also gazed through the door in bewilderment. Serena, who had got to her feet meanwhile, and Severus curiously peeped through between the professors and saw ... nothing! 

The classroom had vanished. They had an unobstructed view over the lake and the stars above. Further down, at the base of the castle, there lay the ruins of what had been a small tower less than an hour ago. 

"Slytherin doesn't _have_ as many points as they'll deduct from us!" Severus growled at Serena when he left, after Professor Dumbledore had advised him to see Hogwarts' Mediwitch about his injuries. 

* * *

The next day Potions lessons were cancelled for all classes. The news about Serena blowing up the Potions classroom spread like wildfire. Serena was in very low spirits. She heard students whisper and snigger behind her back everywhere, being painfully reminded of her very first Potions lesson. Severus refused to speak with her anymore, or even go near her. He also preferred to learn alone for the exams, and he had asked Narcissa to explain the chapter from the Transfigurations book to him. 

When Sirius and James took her aside to compliment her, "Congratulations! We must admit you've easily beaten us. Blowing up a toilet is nothing in comparison to a whole tower! We look like mere novices compared to you," she finally exploded. 

"You think this is all funny, don't you?" she sputtered. "But it isn't. It wasn't a prank; I'm just too stupid to do a potion right. I'm a danger for everyone who's around me. Sev could be dead by now, just because of me! Don't you dare laugh about it!" 

She left the flabbergasted boys standing alone and ran down to the Slytherin dorms. There, she collapsed onto her bed and shut her eyes, trying to hold back the tears that welled up behind her eyelids. Eventually she gave up and turned over onto her stomach, letting the tears flow freely into her pillow. Every time she moved, a groan of pain escaped her. When she had told Severus she hadn't been hurt, it had been a lie. She'd got a lot of painful bruises, which had turned several shades of black, blue, and violet meanwhile. 

The punishment turned out to be less severe than she had feared. Neither Severus nor Serena were expelled from Hogwarts. Slytherin was deducted a hundred and fifty points and both of them got detention for the rest of the school year, which fortunately lasted only two more weeks. After the castle had healed its broken tower, they were to install a new door at the entrance of the late Potions classroom, renovate the corridor, and clean up - all without the use of magic. Afterwards they had to help Professor Godpot set up a new Potions classroom and a new office for him down in the dungeons. In a staff meeting, the professors had unanimously decided to move the Potions classroom. The dungeons had been hewn directly into the rock that Hogwarts was standing on. They had more solid walls and were able to withstand much more pressure than an ordinary exploding cauldron produced. So it was considered far more secure a place to give Potions lessons. 

Slowly Severus' anger subsided. After a week they reconciled. Serena suspected that Severus gave in so fast only because he needed her to learn for the exams, but she didn't care. She was simply happy to have her best friend speaking to her again. 

When the Potions exam took place, Serena was the only one who wasn't to do a practical part. In return her theoretical part of the exam was twice as extensive as the other ones'. 

* * *

Finally all exams were done, all detentions were over, and once more the Hogwarts Express took the students back to London where their parents, siblings, and relatives awaited them to take them home. 

Although Serena's parents had sent her a howler immediately after the accident, they didn't consider the matter closed yet. As soon as she arrived at home, they started to tell her off alternately, lecturing her about negligence and its dangerous consequences. How on earth could she blow up a tower of Hogwarts! How could she be so careless! They would have expected something like that of James, but never of her! Serena showed a rueful expression, promising to never again blow up a Hogwarts tower. After grounding her for half of the summer holidays, her parents put the matter to a rest eventually. 

James spent the second week of holidays on a camping trip with his best friends Sirius, Remus, and Peter, Serena's mum visited a friend, and her father worked all day long, so she had the whole house to herself. Determined to take full advantage of that, she had slept in until noon. After a late breakfast, one that could indeed count as lunch, she got herself a deck chair out of the backyard shed and settled on the lawn in the front garden, sunbathing. Simply lying around and listening to the noises countless little insects made quickly became boring and so she busied herself with reading the Daily Prophet. 

A particular caption caught her attention: _'Again two Aurors killed in the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'_. The number of such articles was dramatically increasing recently. Serena sighed. Someone should put an end to this madness. Why hadn't the Ministry prevented the Dark Lord from gaining so much control? Or if they hadn't seen it coming, why didn't they stop it now? Weren't there any Aurors who were powerful enough to survive a duel with him? Weren't there any clever minds that could come up with a promising plan to get rid of him? Was it really that difficult to defeat him? 

She had spent the last months in Hogwarts, more or less secluded from real life. So she hadn't been aware of what was going on in the rest of the country, being shocked all the more when she had come home. Wizards and witches everywhere had become scared of other people. Usually their neighbour, Mrs. Knicks, used to start a little chat with everyone who walked past her house. But when Serena had greeted her after her return, Mrs. Knicks had fearfully looked around and then disappeared in her house, without answering Serena's greeting. The other magical neighbours were also seldom to be seen outside of their houses, the curtains at the windows being drawn even during the day. People had been afraid for a while, but now it had become worse than ever before. 

Serena's mother came back home in the late afternoon. Upon seeing Serena sitting in the front garden, she broke almost into a hysterical fit. 

"Are you mad, child? Go into the house, at once! How can you be so careless! If someone had seen you!" 

Serena wasn't in the mood to start another discussion about carelessness and to dig up the incident with the destroyed tower again, so she went into the house without protest. But her mother's reaction filled her with dismay. There had been a clear trace of panic in her voice. Not only other people, no, her own family was frightened! 

Later, when she lay in her bed, sleep evaded Serena for a long time. She couldn't get the Daily Prophet article and her mother's panic-stricken voice out of her mind. At length she fell into a restless sleep, dreaming about green lights and screaming voices. Evil, merciless laughter derided the screams. The green light constantly became brighter while the voices fell silent. Suddenly Serena awoke with a start and blinked. The light was still there and it shone through the window, pouring ominous green shadows into her room. She suppressed a shudder, got up, and looked out of the window. 

Outside, a big skull, consisting of countless green stars, glowed bright and frighteningly. An equally green glowing snake came out of its mouth, looking as if the skull was stretching its tongue out. It hovered directly in front of her window, above the small house of her neighbour, Mrs. Knicks. 

Serena tensed and her throat went dry. She wished she was still asleep and this was only a nightmare. But try as she would, she didn't wake up from it. This was bitter reality. Even if she had never seen it before, she recognized at once the dreadful glowing shape she was disbelievingly staring at - the Dark Mark, Lord Voldemort's sign. Death Eaters conjured it at places where they had murdered. After she had freed herself from her rigidity, she ran as fast as she could into her parent's bedroom. 

Without so much as slowing down, she flung open the door, yelling, "The Dark Mark is out there!" 

Woken up so abruptly, her parents drowsily stared at Serena for a moment. Then Serena's words sunk in. Dread flashed over her mother's face once again. Both parents followed Serena into her room, where they could see the Mark clearly. They cast a short, horrified glance out of the window and then started to bolt all shutters and doors of the house. 

Her voice mixed with reproach, dread, and anxiety, her mother spoke to Serena, "Why haven't you drawn shut the curtains, Serena! I hope nobody saw you! They could've thought you had witnessed something!" 

Serena could almost feel the fear evaporate from her mother and reach for herself. Slowly, the fright took hold of her too. Even her father, whom she had always regarded as strong and solid as a rock, couldn't hide his concern and worry. 

She couldn't understand it. As horrible as the attack was, it had been at their neighbours, not their own house. Her family had not meddled with the Dark Lord's business. So there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of. Nevertheless her parents were. And Serena noticed that their fear was contagious, even if she deemed it irrational. 

In an attempt to shake off the oppressive, cold feeling that crept up her veins and threatened to overwhelm her, she yelled back, "And if I had? Wouldn't it be good if I could give the Aurors a few clues as to who had done that?" 

Seeing the aghast look on her mother's face, she immediately regretted her words. This wasn't the time for arguments. They were all too upset now. Her mother was only concerned about her, after all. And maybe she was right. If those Death Eaters had the smallest reason to assume she'd seen something, she would be dead by now. And her parents too, most likely. 

"She doesn't know better. She wasn't here these last months. Hogwarts is still safe, not a place to learn how to live with a constant peril, love," her father tried to appease his wife. Serena's mother began to cry softly. Her husband hugged her tight in an attempt to soothe her. 

"Poor old Mrs. Knicks! She'd never done anything to anyone!" Serena could hear between muffled sobs. 

"But why would Death Eaters assault such a nice old lady like Mrs. Knicks?" she asked quietly. 

"Only because she was Muggle-born. That's the only reason!" her father explained grimly. 

Serena had already heard that Lord Voldemort wasn't too fond of Muggle-born witches or wizards. But that he went as far as to kill them only because of their lineage - that was quite hard to swallow. Serena hadn't spent much thought about him so far. She had considered him just another Dark Wizard who gathered other Dark Wizards around him and scared the wizarding community for fun. A problem that the Ministry would solve sooner or later. But maybe she had underestimated Lord Voldemort a great deal, like so many others had done too. Killing innocent people and getting away with it appeared more like he could become a new Grindelwald, or even worse. 

* * *

James returned from his camping trip a few days later. He had already read in the newspaper about the Death Eater attack on Mrs. Knicks. Sitting on the floor in Serena's room, his back resting comfortably on her bed, he listened attentively to Serena's description of that night. 

"You should have seen Mum," Serena finished her accounting. She was spread crosswise on her bed, lying on her stomach, and her chin resting on her hands, so that her head was next to James'. "She was so frightened, and we aren't even in immediate danger - I mean, we're purebloods and we haven't done anything that could be of interest to You-Know-Who." 

James snorted. "My, Serena, since when are you so naïve? What makes you think that we weren't in danger? They don't exclusively kill Muggle-borns or Aurors. Everyone who doesn't support his case is a potential target. Death Eaters have wiped out entire families just because one member of the family declined their request to join them. They pursue the policy 'If you aren't my friend, you're my enemy'. Are you Voldemort's friend? Are you willing to follow him? I hope not. But that makes you automatically his enemy. Mum and Dad know that. And that's why they're worried, and Mum's even scared." 

"But why doesn't the Ministry do something against him? If he's such a danger?" 

James shook his head. With a grave voice he continued, "It isn't that easy. The Ministry people do what they can, but Voldemort is powerful, and his supporters are numerous. You know, Remus' dad's working for the Ministry. He told us that during the past year, they lost more Aurors in the fight against Voldemort than they could replace with new ones. Those who've been wounded or injured aren't even included yet in this count. And according to Mr. Lupin it's still becoming worse." 

"Then they should perhaps accept more students at their Auror College." 

"They'd be happy to do so. But these days it's hard to find applicants. Would you want to take a job, which you know will very likely cost your life? And most likely also the life of your beloved ones?" 

James stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and turned around, now kneeling on the floor, his elbows resting on Serena's bed. He watched her closely and nodded when she shook her head. 

"And that's exactly the problem. Nevertheless, the Ministry's in dire need of Aurors. Sirius and I have decided to do our duty - we'll both become Aurors after we've finished Hogwarts. I think Remus wants too. And even Peter said he's going to think about it. And -" James rummaged about the pockets of his robe and produced a thick bundle of parchments. Showing them to Serena, he continued, "we're going to convince as many Hogwarts students as possible to apply for an Auror education." 

"And you think that'll turn the tide?" Serena looked sceptical at the papers, reading the title, _'Application for Admission to the British College for Aurors and Magical Forces'_. 

"At least we're doing something, instead of waiting for someone else to do it for us. If everyone helps, the effect will cumulate, and some day it'll be enough to defeat Voldemort. Speaking of, what about your contribution?" 

"My contribution? What could I possibly do?" 

James took one of the application forms and gave it to Serena. "You could fill out this form and send it to the Ministry, for a start. And stop saying You-Know-Who. Use his name. Resistance starts in your head!" 

Serena shook her head and put the parchment back on the stack. "No way. I have other plans. I want to live my life, see a bit of the world, find a husband someday, have children and grandchildren. This is incompatible with dying young." 

"If Voldemort rises to ultimate power and rules our world, you'll likely watch your husband die one day. Or your children. If you live long enough." 

"But even if I wanted to, I can't become an Auror." 

"Why not? You certainly have what it takes to be successful in this job." 

"Oh, sure! I doubt that I'd live to see the day to start my training. I'm in Slytherin, remember? Many members of my house are children of assumed Death Eaters, and are most likely going to follow their parents' footsteps. I have to get along with them for two more years. What do you think will they do if they hear that I'm going to be an Auror? I'm bloody sure they won't congratulate me on my decision." 

"Then don't tell 'em. No one needs to know about it. If I can't convince you, how am I supposed to convince the other students?" 

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm sixteen years old and that I shouldn't worry about my death. And, hey, maybe You-Know-Who will be defeated before we finish Hogwarts." 

James shook his head, frowning. Annoyance sounded in his voice when he answered, "You can't rely on that. We're at war, Serena. And it affects everyone, adults and children alike. You can't stay neutral, if you like it or not. Refusing to fight against Voldemort means to support him. Is it that what you want?" 

Getting up, he took again an application form from the stack and dropped it onto her bed. "You should think about your position. Of course you don't need to make a decision right now, there's still plenty of time. But you should choose your side eventually." Turning around, James left her room and shut the door behind him. 

"What I want is to live, preferably long and in peace," Serena muttered defiantly and threw the parchment into the wastepaper basket. 

But she wasn't able to leave it there. Her conscience didn't let her. Several times during the next few days, she stopped in front of the basket, staring thoughtfully at the parchment. She mulled over James' arguments, trying to find a good reason to dismiss them, and failing each time. 

When she had read about the murdered Aurors, she had been convinced that Voldemort had to be stopped. But how could she expect that the Ministry would somehow solve that problem, without supporting them? What if everyone thought so? Then no one would lift a finger, each one relying on someone else. Voldemort could rise unimpeded to his full power meanwhile. 

And James was right, there was no guarantee that Death Eaters wouldn't force an entry into her home someday and kill her and her family. As Auror she would at least better know how to fight to save her and her family's lives. 

Maybe it wasn't that bad an idea to become an Auror, she mused. She would help to battle against the horror that currently paralysed the wizarding world. If she could save only one innocent family, it would be well worth the effort. 

Her brother's girlfriend Lily came to Serena's mind. Lily's parents were Muggles, which put the Evans' in grave danger. Who would help them when it came to the worst? Would there be Ministry officials, defending Lily and her family from the Death Eaters? Or would they all be needed elsewhere, leaving the Evans' on their own? If something should happen to them, Serena would ask herself if she could have prevented it if she'd been an Auror, for the rest of her life. 

As long as she didn't tell anyone about her ambitions, she should be safe for the next two years, even with a bunch of Slytherins around who would join Voldemort as soon as they finished their schooling. 

Serena made a decision. She removed the application form from the waste basket and filled it out. To be sure that her plans wouldn't slip somehow she resolved to keep it a secret from everyone, even from James and Severus. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but she wasn't willing to take any chances when her very life depended on it. 

Of course it would be dangerous to be an Auror. But she was determined to minimize that danger as much as she could. She had still two years at Hogwarts to come, and she could use that time to prepare herself thoroughly for her future. 

* * *

A couple of days before the holidays ended, two formal looking letters arrived. For a moment, Serena thought, the Auror College had already answered. But the letters were from Hogwarts, containing the results of the O.W.L. tests. Serena hadn't achieved as many O.W.L.s as her brother, owing mainly to her Potions skills, but the number was still impressive. Their parents were overjoyed and very proud of their children. 

As a reward the twins received cloaks made of shiny, silvery cloth. Their father had brought them back from one of his numerous business trips that led him all over the world. When James tried his cloak on Serena suddenly gasped in surprise and nearly forgot to shut her gaping mouth. James' body had disappeared and his head seemed to hover in the air on its own. 

"Wow, it's an Invisibility Cloak!" she whispered awestruck. 

Enthralled, James looked down at himself and then pulled the cloak above his head. Now he was completely invisible. Of course Serena couldn't resist trying out her own cloak as well. For a while both amused themselves by taking things and waving them about. 

Laughing, they made comments like, "Look, the clock can fly!" or "Merlin's beard, the tea kettle is fleeing. Mysterious, mysterious!" 

"Maybe we should take the cloaks away from them again; apparently they aren't mature enough to handle them with due care," their father said to their mother, smiling, but didn't really mean it. 

* * *

When the sixth year started, Serena immediately began to put her plan into action. She spent a lot of time in the library, greedily absorbing all information she could find about Dark Wizards in general and Voldemort in particular, as well as information about curses and the defence against them. 

She had come to the conclusion that she could defend herself against Dark Magic best if she was well acquainted with it. If one wanted to fight something, one had to know it first. Unfortunately, there wasn't much about Dark Magic in the books that were available in the library. More likely there were a good number of books about this topic in the Restricted Section, but how to get them? Serena doubted that she would obtain the permission by going to a professor and telling him that she wished to study Dark Magic, especially if she didn't want to reveal her reasons for doing so. 

She decided to take advantage of the fact that she was best friends with someone who was said to know a wide assortment of Dark Curses. So she asked Severus to show her those curses, and to train her in duelling. At first Severus was a bit hesitant, remembering how impossible it was to teach her anything about Potions. He didn't want to waste his time for nothing and besides that, duelling with Dark Curses could be very dangerous. But Serena convinced him that it wouldn't be a mistake. She was a fast learner, if it wasn't Potions, and indeed Severus soon enjoyed practicing duelling with her. After a while she had become fast enough to be a real challenge for him and now and then she even managed to get beyond his guards and win a duel. 

But as much as her duelling skills improved, she still didn't learn any more about the general aspects of Dark Magic. Severus wasn't willing or able to satisfy her yearning for more background knowledge and there wasn't anyone else she could ask. So she contemplated, again, the ways to get into the Restricted Section of the library. And then it hit her. The Invisibility Cloak! With its help it should be easy to get books out without anyone noticing. 

At night, when everybody else was sleeping, she snuck out of her dorm and into the library. Those trips were few and far between at the beginning. She went into the Restricted Section, grabbed one or two books and hurried back into her dorm. Later she sat down in her bed, drew the curtains of the four-poster and scoured the books for anything useful. Unfortunately, this was a cumbersome method. Since she only randomly selected any books in the dark of the night, they often didn't contain what Serena was looking for. But she didn't dare to turn on any lights for fear of being detected. 

Shortly after Christmas she came across an extremely useful spell. It was a variation of _Lumos_ and made her wand glow with a light that only she could see. So she could now have a closer look at a book in the library before she decided if she would 'borrow' it or not. Owing to this, she progressed much faster with her project. And only three days later she found a charm to detect magic. After she had almost lost a finger when a book that she had taken from the shelf had snapped at her, she used the charm every time before she touched an unknown book. If it was enchanted, she let it well alone. 

Serena hadn't told Severus about her nightly trips. If she should be discovered, she didn't want him to get into trouble too just because he knew about it. And of course she didn't want him to ask questions as to why she did that. She wasn't fond of keeping secrets from him, and she liked even less the need to lie to him. When he had asked her why she suddenly wanted to learn Dark Curses, she had only answered that she had found an interest in it, which at least hadn't been completely untrue. 

However, when she found an interesting curse or hex in the books, she showed it to Severus in one of their duelling practising sessions, without telling him where she had got it from. So it was not only Severus helping her to improve her duelling skills, but she helped to improve his knowledge as well. 

Slowly, Serena became bolder on her trips. She sometimes stayed for hours in the Restricted Section and skimmed through several books right there. Serena had never needed much sleep, which came in quite handy now. And for a last resort, there was always History of Magic or Divination, where she could take a short nap without running the risk of missing something important. 

One night with full moon she had stayed a particularly long time in the library and when she headed back to her dorm, the break of day wasn't far away. As she walked past a huge window in the second floor, a movement outside caught her gaze. 

In the bright moonlight she could clearly see a stag galloping across the school grounds and towards the Whomping Willow. It must have come out of the Forbidden Forrest, she presumed. The poor deer couldn't possibly know that it was better to stay away from the Willow. She felt already pity for the stag because it would undoubtedly be hurt when it kept its direction, and gasped with surprise when the stag stopped, right out of the reach of the Whomping Willow. But what then followed, surprised her all the more and made her stare at the scene with utter astonishment and disbelief. 

A werewolf came after the stag and was closely followed by a gigantic black dog. They all stopped in front of the tree, looking in the direction they had come from and waiting patiently. What was that all about, Serena wondered. She could perhaps imagine a werewolf hunting a stag, but not the stag stopping and waiting for the wolf. And a black dog following them? Why should it? It wasn't the huge mongrel that Hagrid regarded as his pet. So whose dog was it anyway? 

Suddenly Serena could make out what they were waiting for. A small creature, apparently a rat or something akin, scurried through the moonlit grass and under the branches of the willow. A moment later the tree froze. The rat was nowhere to be seen and soon the werewolf and the dog disappeared between the willow's roots. The stag was apparently too big to go through the hole that had to be there; its majestic antlers alone were wider than the willow's trunk. 

But it didn't seem to be worried about that. It just shrank. The antlers vanished and its shape changed into that of a human. Serena couldn't believe her eyes. That was James, her brother! She could clearly recognize him in the light of the full moon before he also disappeared under the willow's roots. Thunderstruck, Serena stared for several minutes at the tree where her brother had vanished long since, and slowly the conclusion from her observation sank in. James was an Animagus! 

* * *

The next day after dinner Serena went straight to the Gryffindor table. She was absolutely determined to capitalize on her discovery. 

Slowly she bend down to James and whispered in his ear, "Hey, Jim. I've to talk to you in privacy." 

"Talk about what?" James asked, yawning and seemingly not in the mood to be as secretive as his sister. 

"You certainly don't want someone to hear that. I'll tell you when we're alone," she answered. 

Sirius scrutinized Serena with a suspicious gaze. Peter suddenly choked over his pumpkin juice and tried desperately to look innocent. Only Remus didn't react at all. He was pale, even more than usual, and seemed to sleep with open eyes. 

_'Wow, apparently they have quite a bad conscience,'_ Serena thought, amused. 

"Okay, if you insist," James answered. "I'll come with you. I'm finished with eating anyway." 

Both left the Great Hall and hid in a nearby broom closet, locking the door behind them. 

"Now, what do you want?" James asked. 

Serena didn't answer immediately. For a few seconds she simply watched her brother. If he was nervous, he hid it pretty well. He appeared as calm as if he'd just finished a History of Magic essay. But then, he couldn't possibly know what Serena wanted and so he saw no reason to worry. 

"Last night I've witnessed something really strange," she began. "A stag, a gigantic dog, and a werewolf ran across the school grounds. A rat followed them, scurried under the Whomping Willow and suddenly the tree froze. Then all four disappeared in something like a hole in the willow's roots. Can you imagine that?" 

Pausing for some seconds, Serena studied James' face again. Even in the low light of their wands she could see that it had suddenly lost its colour. But she didn't wait long enough for him to come up with an excuse and continued with a trace of irony in her voice, "Yes, I was also astounded. But now try to imagine my surprise when the stag transformed into a human! Someone whom I know very well, or at least I thought I did. It was you! 

"I've turned over in my mind what I've seen all day long. The only logical explanation, I could come up with was this: Your friend Remus disappears once a month, always at full moon. The next day he looks even paler and more tired than usual. And I've seen a werewolf. What do you think? What are the chances that it was Remus? And because a werewolf is dangerous for humans, you've turned into a stag to keep him company. There were also a rat and a dog. I think that they were Sirius and Peter, leave it open who is who. You four are always together, so why not also last night? You've managed to become Animagi and use that ability to roam the school grounds at night. A time when everyone's supposed to sleep." 

Serena shook her head, tutting reproachfully, and added in a mocking tone, "I wonder what Headmaster Dumbledore would say to that." 

James' face had become still paler, wearing an irresolute expression. He was apparently wavering between confessing or denying everything. 

Finally he defiantly replied, "It seems that you weren't asleep either, otherwise you couldn't have watched it. And I wonder how you could see the Whomping Willow from the Slytherin dorms at all. Or could it be that you've been wandering about the castle at night? I doubt that Professor Dumbledore would be delighted with this either." 

"However, that's not the point. Fact is that you're Animagi and I know it. And if you do me a favour, I'll never breathe a word to anyone." 

James gave a short, hollow laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh sure! Until you need me to do you the next favour. Then you'll threaten me again and so on. I know a bit about blackmail, and giving in is seldom a good solution." 

"I repeat, I'm just asking one favour of you. I don't want to indulge in blackmail forever. And if you do me that favour, it'll ensure that I won't be in the position to give you away any longer. Don't you want to hear at least what I have in mind?" 

Now it was James, who didn't answer immediately, but studied Serena's expression intensively. Finally he sighed. 

"Okay, what do you want?" 

"I want to become an Animagus like you. And I want you to teach me." 

Serena hoped that it was a good sign that James didn't immediately refuse her request. Patiently she waited for him to come to a decision. 

At length he nodded. "Okay, you win. But you mustn't tell anyone, especially not your bosom friend Snape." 

"Agreed. When can we begin?" 

"I have a book about the Animagus Spell. You should read and understand it before you try anything. I'll give it to you tomorrow, together with a couple of detailed notes that I took when I learned the spell myself." 

James kept his word and the very next evening Serena started to plough through the book and the notes. She'd never have thought that there was so much to learn about a single spell. And not everything added up immediately, or even after reading it two, three, or twenty times. 

Several times a week, they met in the dungeons deep down under the castle. James questioned Serena about the content of the book to see if she really had comprehended it. If not, he tried to explain it to her. Sometimes they spent hours discussing tiny details. James refused to let her continue with the next chapter before she had understood the current one completely. It was truly frustrating sometimes to find herself stuck at a point and not to be able to progress any further. But James was a patient teacher, and always, at some point the penny would drop even with the most complicated topic and they could carry on. 

* * *

"Hey, Jim!" Serena greeted her brother, entering the infirmary on a freezing cold January afternoon. 

"Hey, Serena," her brother croaked back. "Did Madam Pomfrey really allow you to see me or did you sneak past her?" 

"She let me in on the condition that I wouldn't come nearer to you than five yards." She estimated the distance to the bed James was lying in and answered with a shrug, "Seems as if I have to stay in the doorframe then. So what's wrong with you? I thought you'd only caught a cold?" 

"It's a quite evil bout of flu, actually. But the really bad news is that I've proved to be allergic to Pepperup Potion. A sip of it nearly killed me - literally. So I have to deal with it the Muggle way: Lying feverish in bed for the next days, feeling as if being constantly hit by loose Bludgers, and being fed awful tasting Muggle medicine that makes me all the more sick." 

As if to underline his miserable state, James sneezed soundly, then blew his nose and threw the crumpled tissue in the direction of a nearly filled wastebasket. 

"And why am I not allowed near you? I mean, as long as you aren't sneezing in my direction..." 

"Since you're my twin sister, the chances are good that you're also allergic to Pepperup. If I should give you my cold, you'll have to suffer as well. And believe me, it's no fun!" 

"Oh, poor wretch. I'd give you a hug to comfort you, but ... you know, I can't," Serena said, but with distinctly less pity in her voice than in her words, and a roguish twinkle in her eyes. 

"So you're making fun of me, huh? What about this: As long as I'm ill, we cannot continue your _special education_. Still amused?" 

Obviously not. Serena's jaw dropped and she stared at her brother, dumbfounded. This thought hadn't occurred to her yet and she swore inwardly. They had started two months ago and progressed quite well so far. She had even begun to hope she'd be an Animagus before the school year was over. A week or two's pause was the last thing she wanted. The Christmas holidays had already forced them to pause for a week and Serena didn't want to waste any more time with waiting. 

James started to laugh, but not long, and the laugh changed into violent coughs. When the fit was over he said, "Yeah, your face looks exactly like I imagined it. Too bad that I don't have a camera, this thunderstruck expression of yours is really rare." 

Serena abruptly shut her gaping mouth. 

"I've thought about this problem, and found a solution already," James continued merrily. "I've convinced Sirius to help me out. Since he's as acquainted with the subject as I am, it should be no problem for you to discuss the matter with him." 

Sirius? Serena wasn't sure if she would trust him with an issue as severe as this. In her eyes Sirius hadn't grown up much since his first day at Hogwarts. He had obviously mastered the Animagus Spell as well as Jim, but he was still a carefree prankster who used his considerable talents to get the maximum of fun out of life. 

Her doubts mirrored in her expression, and James felt compelled to add, "And before you start the dangerous part, I'll be back." 

"What about Peter?" she objected. "Isn't he as competent as Sirius? I was under the impression that Peter's a lot more serious about serious things than the king of mischief makers." 

"You're certainly right, but as you surely remember, Peter's got a month worth of detention and isn't available. You can thank your friend Snape for that, you know," James answered sourly. 

Serena suppressed a snigger when she recalled that incident. It had been in Potions, and their task had been to brew a concoction that would, if done correctly, quieten people. Determined to get back on the quartet for a prank they had played on him a few days before, Severus had managed to slip a frog toe into Remus' and Peter's cauldron without them noticing. When Peter had tested the potion, the effect had been the exact opposite of his expectation. He suddenly couldn't stop himself from talking, which was rather special an event since Peter usually didn't speak much. He chatted during the rest of the lesson and all through the next one too. Professor Kettleburn had deducted points from Gryffindor for disturbing his Care of Magical Creatures lesson, but Peter hadn't stopped even after the third admonition. Finally the professor had lost his temper and had assigned Peter detention for each evening for the next four weeks. 

So it would have to be Sirius or no one. Serena nodded resignedly. 

"I think I'll put up with Sirius then," she answered. "And you promise to get well as fast as you can, okay?" 

She had no idea that this decision would finally delay her Animagus lessons a great deal more than just waiting a couple of days for James' recovery.


	8. Unsettling News

_(September 1995)_

Three days later, Harry was still in a huff and refused to speak to Jon. Jon, on the other hand, had never been the type that would bear grudges forever. He could get enraged in a second, but usually the steam blew off just as quick. So he wouldn't have minded a try for reconciliation the next day. Unfortunately, it turned out to be difficult to talk things out with someone who avoided him and, when cornered, refused to stay and listen to him. 

Ron, for being Harry's best friend, behaved the same way and didn't even acknowledge Jon's presence. Hermione didn't ignore Jon completely, but didn't spend time with him either. She tried to talk sense into Harry on several occasions, but to no avail. Harry always stubbornly refused to apologise to Jon. After the fifth vain attempt, Hermione finally lost her patience, called his behaviour childish and left the common room in a huff. She left for the library, threatening to spend all her spare time there until Harry had sorted out this foolish squabble with Jon. 

In the meantime, Jon tried to distract himself by socialising with other students. He helped Neville with his Potions essay. He told a fascinated Lavender about the Mall of America, a huge Muggle shopping centre where his mum had sometimes taken him. He also entertained himself by playing with Spike who was exceedingly delighted by this sudden increase in attention. But no matter what Jon did, he heard a permanently nagging voice in the back of his mind. It kept telling him that he had enjoyed the company of Harry, Ron, and Hermione way too much to just sit back and wait until Harry realised that Serena being so secretive wasn't Jon's fault. 

Tuesday ended like the days before: Jon had dinner in the Great Hall more or less sitting by himself, and later did his homework in the Gryffindor common room, also alone. He briefly considered stopping by his mum's office and trying to get that damned information that seemed to be so important for Harry. But after estimating the prospect of success he thought better of it, and eventually he went to bed. There he lay awake and asked himself why he had to suffer the most even though he was to blame the least. 

He still lay awake two hours later, when he heard a choking noise and ragged breathing coming from the four-poster right across the room. That was Harry's bed, and apparently, he wasn't having a particularly pleasant dream. Since Jon hadn't slept well for a few nights, he had noticed it before - Harry was frequently plagued with nightmares. 

The soft tapping of bare feet on the floor, followed by the sound of an opening and almost immediately closing door, told Jon that Harry had left the dormitory. Wondering if Harry was all right, Jon got also up and left the room. 

When he descended the stairs to the common room, he saw Harry slumped in an armchair in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames as Serena had done after Harry had stormed out of her office. He had drawn up his legs, his chin propped on his knees. His slouched posture conveyed immense weariness and he was noticeably paler than usual. 

Jon stepped closer, pulling another armchair to the fireplace. When Harry heard him, he looked briefly up. Upon recognising Jon, he turned his head back to the fireplace and continued to gaze apathetically into the flames. Jon noted with relief that Harry didn't leave immediately. He sat down next to Harry, shifting about the chair for a while to find a comfortable position. 

Since Harry didn't seem to say something anytime soon, Jon begun in a non-committal tone, "You alright?" 

Harry didn't answer; he didn't even show a sign that he had heard the question. 

A short while later Jon made a second attempt to bring Harry out of his shell. "It must have been a darn horrible nightmare. You look like death warmed up." 

When Harry still didn't react, Jon stated as if he checked an imaginary list, "Let's see: asking for well-being - unsuccessful. Joking - megaflop. Damn, I'm running out of options. Do you have an idea perhaps?" 

Harry stopped staring into the fire as if Jon wasn't even there, but didn't say anything either. His forehead crumpled into a frown, which looked rather thoughtful than angry, though. 

When Harry still didn't utter a sound, Jon sighed, frustrated. 

"Merlin's beard, Harry, what do you want? How can I make you speak to me again?" 

Now Harry lifted his head and looked at Jon, wearing a strange expression that Jon couldn't read. 

He continued, despair lingering in his voice, "Do you perhaps want to hear an apology? Okay, you get it: I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Mum isn't going to tell you about her past. I'm sorry for having accused you of using me as informant and having never cared for me as a person. I'm sorry for having called your parents bloody. I'm sorry for everything that makes your life miserable, if I'm to blame for it or not." 

Fidgety, Jon ran his hands through his hair. Harry opened and closed his mouth, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to do it. 

Jon muttered wearily, "I'm so sick of this. Why can't we just be friends again?" 

At last Harry seemed to have come to a decision and answered, "Maybe because there's still an overdue apology outstanding." 

Jon couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Another apology? What else, for Heaven's sake, do you want me to apologise for?" 

"Nothing. I was speaking about myself. I must apologise to you. I was so angry with Serena, and just because you're her son, I was also angry with you. That was unfair of me. I'm sorry for that." 

Harry faltered and remained silent for a couple of seconds. But then he looked again at Jon and continued softly, "You guess what Hermione asked me? She wanted to know if I'd dump Ron if Mrs. Weasley did something I wouldn't approve of. That made me think. She was right, of course, but I found it hard to admit." 

Harry snorted with surprise. "Now, that it's out, it wasn't so hard. Jon, could you ever forgive me? I'm terribly stubborn sometimes, I suppose." 

A wry, hopeful smile appeared on Harry's face. 

Jon made a dismissive gesture, returning Harry's smile. "Must be a family trait, this stubbornness. Apology accepted. And don't think I asked about your nightmare only to get a reaction from you. I really care. So if you want to talk about it..." 

Harry shook his head. "Thanks, but... no. I'm okay. I ... I dreamt about Cedric's death and Voldemort's rebirth, again, but it was only a dream, and the horror has faded already. I think I should go back to bed and get some sleep." Harry managed to give his voice a steady, almost light-hearted sound, but his eyes told a different story. 

Jon didn't want to jeopardise his newly repaired friendship with Harry by poking into things that didn't concern him. If Harry decided to talk about it, he would do so of his own accord. Jon nodded, respecting Harry's wish to keep it to himself. 

"Okay, if you insist. Erm, Harry," Jon waited until Harry who had already got up from the armchair faced him again. "Please assure me that you aren't sleepwalking right now and that you'll still remember our conversation tomorrow morning." 

Harry managed a grin. "Rest assured, cousin, I'm wide awake. And I won't back out." 

* * *

"Oh fuck!" Jon burst out, staring disbelievingly under his bed. 

It was the first Friday in October, the lunch break was almost over, and he was about to fetch his cauldron for Potions. 

"Jon!" Hermione, who waited at the door with her Potions equipment in her arms, reproved him. "Watch your language! Why on earth must you boys always use such rude words?" 

"Erm, my Mum's swearing quite often too," Jon dissented. Seeing Hermione's shocked expression, he added quickly, "When she thinks I don't hear it." 

"Anyway, what's bugging you?" Ron mumbled questioningly. His mouth was filled with a half-melted chocolate frog while he spoke, which earned him another reproachful look from Hermione. 

"Really, guys, don't you have any manners?" she complained fretfully. 

Ignoring her outburst, Jon answered, "My cauldron isn't here. I took it to Mum's office a few days ago because she needed Fire Protection Potion for one of her Defense lessons and would rather face a dragon with toothache than ask Snape for a favour." 

"And so you brewed it for her," Harry stated the obvious. 

"Yes, I did. Because it was still hot, I left it in her office to cool down, intending to fetch the cauldron later. But I forgot it and just remembered it now when I didn't find it under my bed." 

Jon shook his head slowly. His expression shifted slightly and suddenly he looked as if he was severely tempted to yell at himself. But he confined his self chastisement to a smack on his forehead and scolding himself. 

"Why on earth am I cursed with a memory like a sieve! Mum says, I would even forget my head if it wasn't attached to my body. If I don't have my cauldron Snape'll certainly take a lot of points with the greatest of pleasure." 

"Especially because he seldom has an opportunity to do so. Sometimes I get the feeling you know even more about Potions than he does." 

Jon wondered if he could hear a slight trace of admiration in Hermione's voice, when she said that. But maybe he was only imagining it. 

Ever since the first Potions lesson, Snape's ill will against Jon had steadily increased and had reached the level of open hatred now. Snape jumped at every chance to deduct points from Jon, which wasn't very often. For a while he had tried to discover a gap in Jon's knowledge, but in vain. Jon seemed to know everything that Snape asked him. Then he had criticised Jon's work although it had been perfect. Snape hadn't always succeeded in hiding that it rankled with him that he couldn't find any real mistakes. Finally Snape had gone over to disparage Serena, but Jon hadn't let himself be provoked by the Potions Master a second time. So it usually ended in Snape taking his anger out on the other students. 

"Yes, Potions is right up my street. I doubt that I know more about it than Snape, but I suppose the things I don't know he cannot ask me because they haven't got anything to do with the syllabus. It seems as if I have sort of an instinctive understanding for Potions, quite the opposite to Mum. If she's in need of a potion, I always have to make it for her." 

"Always? Can't she even do easy potions?" Harry asked sceptically. 

"Nope. She couldn't make decent coffee if her life depended on it, let alone a potion. The reason we have Potions down in those cold dungeons is actually her fault. The lessons used to be given in a small tower at the south side of Hogwarts. She accidentally blew it up when she was practising for the exams. If it comes down to Potions, she's worse than Neville." 

Jon noticed the equally doubtful expressions at the faces of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Apparently, they couldn't imagine someone being worse than Neville, but they had never experienced his mum trying to brew a potion. He had been told that years ago, his mum had even managed to blow up his baby food simply by trying to warm it with magic. 

"We still have some time left before Potions begins. We could stop by her office and get your cauldron now," Hermione suggested after a glance at the wall clock above Dean's bed. "Her office is almost on our way." 

Noticing Harry's frown, Jon offered, "You don't have to come with me. I can get it alone." 

Although Harry had made peace with Jon, he still bore a grudge against Serena. He hadn't visited her again or talked to her outside the Defence classroom. In class, he had treated her like any professor: cool and reserved, polite, but not more. 

"We could wait at the corridor," Ron proposed. 

Harry nodded, his frown vanishing. "Okay then, let's go." 

* * *

When they arrived at Serena's office at the second floor, Jon muttered the password and turned the doorknob. 

"Mum said, I could drop in at any time and told me the password so I could," he explained. 

He was just about to open the door wide, when they heard agitated voices coming out of the office. Startled, Jon let go of the knob and they heard through the slightly ajar door an upset Serena, "Okay, I admit it, I've been avoiding you. Why couldn't you take the hint and keep clear of me as well? And now sod off, Sev, I can't help you!" 

Sev? Who was Sev? 

"Oh, we are the epitome of kindness today, aren't we?" a voice answered back, thick with sarcasm. It belonged clearly to Professor Snape. Severus Snape. Sev. Ron pressed his hand over his mouth, in order to prevent himself bursting into laughter. Harry chortled too, seeing the grin on Jon's face. Only Hermione seemed not to be amused. Obviously she would rather be somewhere else instead of eavesdropping on professors' arguments. 

"Well, you aren't in high spirits either, as I see. But he gave the position to me, not to you. If you can't cope with it, that's not my problem." Serena's answer mingled with anger, strain, and weariness. The wish to end this discussion had become more perceptible in her voice with each sentence. 

The floorboards begun to rhythmically creak because of someone pacing up and down. 

"Why, that's lucky, isn't it? You have enough other problems, after all," Snape replied in a cynical tone, bluntly ignoring her undertone of dismissal. 

The steps stopped. "And what's that supposed to mean?" 

"Have a look at your poor excuse of a son, for example. He's disrespectful to teachers, and he's cheeky, pert, truculent - shall I continue?" 

Harry and Ron held nervously their breath. Hermione gave Jon a worried look. But Jon stayed relaxed. He knew that his mother wouldn't let anything be said against him. Sometimes he felt a bit guilty because he occasionally took advantage of her being overprotective towards him. But not very often. 

"Not one of the other teachers has complained about him so far! This seems to me suspiciously like you're the problem." 

Jon grinned triumphantly. Exactly what he'd expected her to say. 

"I highly doubt that. His naughty behaviour isn't very surprising when looking at you. You let him get away with far too much. And you take his side excessively often. No wonder that he thinks he can do just as he pleases! You always keep away any consequences from him!" 

Snape might have a point there, even if he was exaggerating a lot, Jon mused. But he knew that his mum was completely deaf to that sort of reproach anyway. 

"Are you criticising my way of raising my son? You are in no position to do that! Or do you have any experiences in the field of raising children? I don't think so!" 

"At least I didn't bring a brat into the world, while it was beyond my capabilities to bring it up properly." 

It seemed as if that rude, spiteful remark had left Serena temporarily speechless, because it had become silent for a moment. But maybe she had simply bit her tongue so as to not give an appropriate answer to this insult. 

Not a jot more affable, Snape continued, "If you ask me, I'd say he's missing the strict upbringing of a father. But, well, that's what you get if you have it off with married men. They only want to have fun, not responsibility." 

"Excuse me???" 

"Oh, c'mon, you don't have to act unwitting. I know very well whom you owe the questionable pleasure of getting yourself pregnant with a misbegotten child, even though you make a big secret of it." 

Snape knew Jon's father? Jon had no clue about the identity of his father. This was another one of the topics that his mum never talked about. He pricked up his ears so as to not miss anything. 

"Do you indeed?" Serena's question sounded sceptical and a bit pressed, as if she had to constrain herself to maintain her self-control. 

Snape's voice was filled with contempt and loathing when he spat, "Oh yes, I do. I know about you and Lucius. I've seen you both kissing and pawing at each other. He couldn't keep his hands off you!" 

A seemingly endless period passed by before an extremely baffled Serena finally answered with a question in return, "You've seen that?" Each word sounded clearly as if she couldn't take in his words. "You've seen it and did nothing?" she asked incredulously. 

"Of course not. What should I have done - congratulate you?" Snape asked cynically. "Or tell Narcissa that her husband is screwing her friend, while she's sitting at home? Hoping it wouldn't upset her that much that she lost her baby? No, this was none of my business. I wasn't part of your disgusting triangle of a pregnant wife, an unfaithful husband, and a treacherous whore!" 

_Slap!_ The sound of a hand connecting hard against skin made the four eavesdroppers jump. Apparently, Serena had finally lost the fight for self-control. Her voice had almost changed beyond recognition when she yelled, boiling with rage, "How dare you call me that! You know nothing! Get the hell out of here, before I forget myself completely!" 

"I have the strong impression you have done that already," Snape continued with an angry snarl, obviously not amused about the slap. "And your reaction unmistakably betrays your words. Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" 

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! NOW!" 

Something hit the wall next to the door and fell clattering to the ground. Snape seemed to deem it safer to follow Serena's demand, because quick strides neared the door. The four students outside could barely hide in a wall niche behind a suit of armour before the office door flung open and a fuming Snape stormed out. Rubbing his left cheek, he hurried down the stairs. Eight eyes followed him with thunderstruck gazes until he was out of sight. 

Harry was the first who was able to speak again. "I think we should go to Madam Pomfrey, feign a sickness, and skip Potions today. As much as Snape was seething, I wouldn't be surprised if he killed a student just because he's wearing the wrong expression." 

"I don't think that I have to feign the sickness," Ron answered uncomfortably. 

Hermione, extricating herself from their hiding place behind the suit of armour, added with distinctly audible respect in her voice, "Your mum is quite courageous to quarrel with Professor Snape." 

Jon stood rooted to the spot, silent. His face had lost all its colour. He didn't listen to what the others said, his mind was too busy with digesting what he had heard. Was that true? Was Lucius Malfoy his father? Draco Malfoy would be his brother then - a creepy idea. Was that the reason why his mum had never talked about his father? Because he was married to another woman? 

Slowly, he silently counted up to ten, straightened himself, and then went into the office. Fragments of pottery were scattered about the floor next to the door, most likely the remains of what had caused the clattering sound. The rest of the office didn't look much better. Pieces of parchment were spread all around the desk, apparently wiped off the tabletop in an angry move. 

His Mum stood at the window, looking out. She breathed heavily, and what he could see of her face was flushed with anger. When she heard him stepping onto the fragments, she spun around, wand drawn. Then she recognised Jon and let her hand sink again, turning back to the window. 

With a far more friendly tone, she asked him, "Hey, Jon, don't you have lessons?" 

Had he only imagined it or had he spotted tears in his mum's eyes? He had seen them only for a second because she had turned around in an instant. Jon couldn't remember having ever witnessed his mum shedding tears before. How dare Snape make her cry! Jon's esteem for Snape dropped lower again, if that was still possible. 

Softly, Jon answered, "Yes Mum, in a minute. But I need my cauldron; I left it here." 

"It's beside my desk. And your ingredients are on the mantelpiece." Her voice was steady, but very soft, as if she didn't trust herself to speak aloud. 

"Okay." Hesitating, Jon reached for the box that contained smaller boxes, little jars and small bags filled with a wide assortment of potion ingredients. Should he ask her? Now? 

"Mum?" 

"Yes?" 

"Well... I... Err... I'll go then. I don't want to be late." 

"Okay, see you later." 

Jon dropped the box into his cauldron and left the office with his equipment, gently shutting the door behind him. He hadn't been able to bring himself to ask. In fact, he didn't want to know it. That way he could still hope that his father was someone else. Actually, Snape could have made just a random guess. His mum hadn't confirmed anything. And even if his father's name was really Lucius, there was still a remote chance that it was another Lucius, not Malfoy, who had by pure accident also married a woman named Narcissa. But all these thoughts were only straws, and clutching at them wasn't by far as comforting as he wished. In silence, he hurried down to the dungeons together with his friends. 

* * *

When professor Snape came out of his office and entered the classroom, the whole class became deathly silent. Nobody dared to move. All stared with wide eyes at their Potions Master. A few students had a hard time preventing themselves from grinning, because that could easily become the last thing they did in their lives. On Snape's left cheek showed a fiery red imprint of a hand. It was all the more conspicuous because his face was always so pale. 

"She did really slap him! I love your Mum!" Ron whispered appreciatively to Jon. Then he remembered that Serena still wasn't in Harry's good books and added, "But don't tell Harry." 

"Is there anything of interest to report, Mr. Weasley? Then I'd suggest you say it aloud so that we all can benefit from your unique knowledge." 

Ron flinched. "N-no, Professor Snape, I've nothing to say. Sorry." 

Snape gave Ron a piercing look that made Ron quiver. "If you have nothing to tell us, as usual, then kindly keep your mouth shut. Ten points from Gryffindor!" 

Draco Malfoy smirked with malicious pleasure. But not for long. 

"There is nothing to gloat over, Mr. Malfoy. Five points from Slytherin." 

Draco's smirk faded away instantly. He seemed to consider a reply to Snape, but then thought better of it and cast his eyes downwards. 

Jon watched Draco out of the corner of his eye. He had always wanted to have brothers or sisters. But Malfoy? He shuddered, but couldn't help but grin inwardly at the same time. Malfoy's face had been priceless when Snape had deducted points from him. Draco still couldn't take it in. 

Snape had still taken less points away from Slytherin than from Gryffindor. But that he had even deducted points from Slytherin, and from his favourite student, for a mere smirk, was a strong sign of Snape's alarmingly foul mood. Because his mum had been the reason for it, he should better do his utmost not to get on the receiving end of Snape's wrath today, Jon thought. 

"During today's lesson we'll make Transparency tincture," Snape commenced in a sour tone. "If you apply it to the surface of a solid object, it will become, like the name says, temporarily transparent. How long, depends on the concentration of the tincture. The brewing of it is not simple and requires care and concentration. So you will meticulously heed the instructions in order to successfully create the tincture. If there should be a cauldron at the end of the lesson that isn't transparent, I'll make the owner of that cauldron drink its contents." 

Neville tried to copy down all of the Potions Master's speech with the intention of minimising the chances of doing something wrong later. But Snape listed the ingredients too fast to keep up. When the professor was finished, he ordered Neville to repeat the ingredients for the class. 

Neville cringed. He looked scared at Snape and began to stammer, "Powdered Dragon scales, erm..., newt..., newt bile..., erm..." 

"I asked the class to pay special attention to the ingredients! Even that seems to demand too much of you, Longbottom. You should really reconsider your family's decision on Hogwarts being the right type of school for you. Ten points from Gryffindor!" 

At Snape's next command, Harry wrote down the list of ingredients on the blackboard and lost another ten points for Gryffindor because he missed one. Then the students could finally start to brew the tincture. 

When Jon took his ingredients box out of his cauldron, he found a folded piece of parchment at the bottom. The image of parchments scattered around his mum's desk came back to his mind. Apparently this was one of them, but it had landed in Jon's cauldron instead on the floor. Without further examination, Jon put it in his robe, intending to give it back to his mother later. 

The rest of the lesson was quite an intricate manoeuvre for all students. No one dared to even breathe audibly to avoid getting into the focus of Snape's attention. Nevertheless, Gryffindor was seventy points worse off at the end of the lesson, and even Slytherin had lost twenty points for issues like, "Your fire is too hot!", "The pieces are too small!", or "Your book is on the wrong side of the table!" 

When the bell rang, the students fled the dungeon in a hurry, glad that they were still alive. 

* * *

Fortunately, the weekend was at hand to get the students' minds onto other things. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione planned to pay Hagrid a visit and they asked Jon, if he would like to join them. Jon did and so the four set off for Hagrid's hut at Saturday after lunch. 

When they entered the hut, Jon looked curiously around. It consisted only of one large room and everything in it was quite a bit above normal size. In a corner, there was a bed, which was so huge that there would have been plenty of room for Jon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all together. The stock of food that hung at the ceiling - ham, sausages, chicken, pheasants, and other game that Jon couldn't identify - would have been enough to give a big party for all members of Gryffindor. A cosy fire crackled in the fireplace, heating water in a tub-like kettle. 

Harry sat down on a sofa, which occupied most of the wall opposite the door. Jon decided to follow him, while Ron and Hermione climbed onto an armchair that had the width of a normal sofa. 

"Help yerselves!" Hagrid said, putting a plate of his infamous rock cakes onto the table and pouring out tea. 

When Hagrid returned the teapot to the mantelpiece, Ron signalled Jon behind Hagrid's back with vehement gestures that Jon would be far better off without trying the rock cakes. Jon nodded and mouthed a _'Thank you'_ , leaving the cakes alone. 

Finally, Hagrid collapsed onto the sofa, almost catapulting Jon off. Harry, who had already known what would happen, had grasped the armrest with both hands as a precaution. 

"So, yeh an' Harry are friends again," Hagrid began, looking at Jon. "That's good, there shouldn' be strife in a family. Yeh know, blood's thicker than water an' all. And's quite obvious that yer one family. Jon, if yeh had glasses an' yeh'd be a good head smaller, I couldn' tell yer from Harry, I s'ppose." 

Jon nodded in agreement. "Yes, I've heard that from a few people already." 

Shifting on the sofa to find a comfortable position, Hagrid continued, "Why didn' yeh come ter Hogwarts earlier? Where've yeh been before?" 

"We used to live in a small village in Iowa in the middle of nowhere. I've been at a wizarding school in the States." 

This answer managed to catch Hagrid's undivided attention. When Hagrid had been a child, his father had once taken him to New York. Hagrid had been highly impressed by the huge skyscrapers. Unfortunately, Jon couldn't tell Hagrid much about them, he had never been in New York. But even so, Hagrid listened with rapt attention when Jon told about Two Oaks, his home town, a small, boring village with nothing around but prairie. 

Eventually Hagrid remembered that Jon wasn't his only visitor and, looking a bit guilty, he asked, "And, Harry, have yeh made up with yer aunt too?" 

Harry shook his head. "No, I didn't." 

"But after today you could at least consider the possibility," Ron cut in. "I mean, she can't be that bad - not when she slaps the ugly bat." 

Seeing Hagrid's puzzled face, Ron explained further, "She gave Snape a hefty clout round the ears yesterday!" 

Hagrid's expression changed from puzzled to doubtful. "Gallopin' Gorgons, yer sure?" 

"You bet! We were there and ... erm, you better not tell that to anyone. We just happened to be standing outside of her office, and heard them arguing through the door until Snape stormed off. We had Potions then, and there was a red imprint of a hand on his cheek. He was quite in a fume, I dare say." 

"Strange. I wonder why they're fightin'. They used ter be best friends back in their ol' school days," Hagrid said, which earned him utterly nonplussed looks from his visitors. 

"Friends? But Snape hates her. Didn't you see him glaring daggers at her at the Welcome Feast? As if he wanted to bite her head off. How could they have been friends?" Jon shook his head in disbelief, when another thought occured to him. 

"Maybe you're confusing her with someone else?" 

"Nah, certainly not. Severus Snape didn' have lots o' friends. It was Serena, noone else. She was 'n Slytherin too, yeh know. They were hangin 'round together all the time." 

"So you knew her too," Harry noted, "and didn't tell me that I had still living relatives, like everyone else. I thought, you of all people wouldn't have kept that from me." 

"I didn'. Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, I didn' hear anythin' o' her after she left Hogwarts. When Dumbledore said these Muggles were yer only family, I thought she were dead. Killed by You-Know-Who, as yer parents. If I'd known... Oh, I'm so sorry." 

Hagrid was tearing at his hair until Harry interrupted him by laying his hand on Hagrid's arm. "Forget it, I'm not mad at you," he said. 

Hagrid's expression lightened up again. Trying to be a good host and keep the conversation going, he asked Ron and Hermione, "An' yer? How're things with yeh?" 

But the news about Snape and Serena had come as a bombshell, shocking all four. Jon didn't pay much attention anymore. He was too occupied with trying to imagine his mum and Snape being friends, but failing miserably. The others had problems digesting this piece of information as well. At length they bid good-bye to Hagrid and returned to the castle in awkward silence.


	9. The Animagus Spell

_(February 1977)_

January became February, and Serena's studies with Sirius progressed faster than she had expected. While discussing topics of the Animagus book Serena noted, astonished, that Sirius could handle the matter more seriously than she had thought possible of him. 

Spending so much time with Sirius also revealed to Serena that she hadn't known him half as well as she had believed. He proved that her picture of him as a carefree prankster wasn't completely wrong, but extremely one-sided. There was a great deal more to him, qualities she never had noticed before. 

The way he explained the preparations to perform the spell, or their importance for the successfulness of the transformation, showed her that he possessed more brains than she had given him credit for. Sirius was an intelligent boy, and if he would invest a bit more of his intelligence in his schoolwork instead of planning new practical jokes, his good marks could easily have become excellent. 

Sirius seemed to be in great sprits almost all the time. His good mood was contagious and he often sprinkled his teaching with witty remarks, which made Serena regularly burst out laughing. 

Surprisingly, she found that she enjoyed Sirius' company immensely. During the day, she repeatedly caught herself reminiscing about the last session with Sirius, or impatiently counting the hours until the next one. 

In a History of Magic lesson, she realised with a start that she wasn't musing over Sirius' last lesson, but rather his black, shoulder-length hair. It had smelled like a forest after rain, as if he had washed it just before they had met. She wondered why she noticed something so irrelevant like the smell of his hair at all. Or, for that matter, why she could remember so well the way his muscular chest and upper arms had filled his tight shirt. How his muscles played under the fabric when Sirius had moved his arm to show her an important note, of which she couldn't remember a single word. 

Could it be that she was falling for him? Falling for a boy whom she had known as long as she could remember? The one who rubbed mud in her hair when they were five years old? The boy that had always been her brother's best friend and nothing else? The boy... well, he _was a boy_ , after all. 

The next time Serena entered the dungeon where she always met Sirius, she could neither suppress nor ignore the nervousness that had taken possession of her. Seeing that Sirius wasn't there yet, she released the breath that she had been involuntarily holding. Checking the time, she saw that she was five minutes early. 

To calm down and get her mind off Sirius, she sat down on a table, dangling her legs, and took the Daily Prophet out of her bag. After skimming the newspaper for a couple of minutes without remembering any of its content, she heard the door to the dungeon open with a creak. Sirius entered, greeting her cheerfully. Immediately, Serena's heart began, once again, to pound. Despite her nervousness she managed to greet him back with an almost normal sounding voice. 

Sirius settled down on the same table, right next to Serena, and opened the Animagus book, placing it in his lap. After a few vain attempts at small talk with an unnaturally quiet Serena he finally started with that day's lesson. 

It turned out to be arduous. Sirius did his best to convey a precise picture of the change that the rearranging molecules went through, and from time to time Serena nodded and made non-committal noises. But when he asked her questions, she needed ages to come up with an answer that usually wasn't even close to correct. 

With a frown, Sirius broke off his lecture and asked, "Are you able to repeat anything of what I said in the last five minutes?" 

It took Serena a long moment to realise that Sirius was waiting for an answer. She closed her eyes. _'I have to concentrate!'_ she reprimanded herself silently. _'Concentrate on Sirius' words, and not his smell! Certainly I can give an answer. If I had only listened to his question...'_

In that moment, Sirius slid closer to her and grabbed her in a headlock. Serena froze, overly conscious of how his chest touched her side and radiated heat. One of his ribs pressed against the side of her breast, causing sparks of indescribable sensations to shoot through her body. Her cheeks flushed and she could feel them burning with embarrassment. 

Oblivious of the effect he had on Serena, Sirius tousled her hair with his other hand, calling in a mocking tone, "Good morning, Potty! Time to wake up!" 

Serena stared at him, wide-eyed and dumbfounded. 

Sirius grinned broadly, and seeing her baffled expression, he explained, "When we were little, it used to make you furious and never failed to bring you out of your shell. I was trying to get your attention since you seem more than just a bit distracted today." 

"That was successful, I dare say," Serena mumbled, having still not fully recovered from the surprise. 

"Good," Sirius said, "then we could perhaps continue? Or maybe we should finish for today and continue when you're more receptive?" 

Sirius looked at Serena, waiting for an answer, when he suddenly stiffened. Apparently he had finally become aware of their position. His eyes transfixed on Serena's flushed cheeks, but he made no move to remove his arm from her shoulders. Slowly, his gaze moved over her face, as if he saw it for the first time and needed to memorise each tiny detail. The survey ended at her eyes, and he returned her stare with a strange look, filled with yearning and desire. 

Serena's head spun. Still unable to move, she wondered if Sirius perhaps returned her feelings? 

As if reading her thoughts, Sirius answered her unspoken question by muttering, "James'll probably kill me for this..." 

Then he bent his arm a little more, drawing Serena closer to him, until their faces were only millimetres apart from each other. He cast a last glimpse at her, as if to verify that she wasn't recoiling, and then, closing his eyes, he covered her lips with his mouth. 

* * *

The next evening, Serena, Severus, and Narcissa sat together in the Slytherin common room, busy with their respective homework. At least Severus and Narcissa were working. Serena was merely sitting in her armchair, neglecting the open book in her lap. She had given up any pretence to be busy and had leaned back comfortably. Resting her head on the chair-back and sucking at a sugar quill, she was musing over the previous evening. 

She could still feel a slight tingle at her lips when she recalled Sirius' kiss. In that moment she had felt utter bliss, being at ease with the world. Nothing else had been important. But later, when she had lain in her bed, doubts had crept over her, and they were still occupying her thoughts. 

Was it wise to get involved with Sirius of all people? Surely not. Severus was her best friend, and Sirius was his archenemy. How would Severus react if she told him about her feelings for Sirius? Most likely anything but enthusiastically. But she had never been kissed like that before, never felt that way before. She wanted to repeat the experience. Perhaps it was best if she didn't tell Severus. At least not right now. She already had secrets from him; one more wouldn't make a big difference. 

Eyes half closed, her gaze rested on Severus, who sat opposite her, doing his homework. He was sitting upright on his chair, a bit stiff, as usual. His one hand rested on the Arithmancy book, marking a passage with his index finger, while he wrote down the results of his thoughts with the other hand. Severus was working with full concentration, not letting the strands of black hair dangling in front of his eyes distract him. 

When he turned his head so that most of his face wasn't visible to Serena, she could almost imagine Sirius sitting there. 

She had never consciously discerned it before, but there were a lot of similarities between Severus and Sirius. Their figures were almost identical - slim, in Severus' case nearly gaunt, and a great deal taller than Serena's. This didn't say much since Serena was pretty small, but they were also taller than most of their fellow students. Both had to duck through the low door when they entered the Charms classroom. 

The most striking similarity was probably their hair: jet black and shoulder-length. It was slightly wavy in Sirius' case, while Severus had completely straight hair. Suddenly Serena felt the urge to touch Severus' hair, to check if it only looked greasy or if it really was. 

Their common features weren't limited to appearance, though. Both had lively, bright minds, which enabled them to proficiently solve complex problems, like planning a retaliatory strike to get back on the other for his last prank. They hated each other with equal passion. And they were strong. Severus had already proven that he could lift Serena as if she weighed nothing. After spending so much time with inspecting Sirius' muscles she didn't doubt that Sirius was capable of doing that as well. 

Serena's musings were interrupted when Narcissa rose from her chair. Stifling a yawn, she said, "I'm tired, it's late, and my homework for tomorrow's done. I'm going to bed now." 

Nodding in agreement and stretching his sore back muscles, Severus mumbled, "Good idea." He started to gather his parchment, quill and inkbottle, stuffing everything in his bag. "What about you, Serena?" he asked. 

"I'm not finished with my work, but I doubt that I'm able to conjure a coherent sentence and write it down at the moment. Sleeping sounds enticing." She closed the book in her lap, rising from the armchair. "Good night, Sev!" 

With these words, Serena grabbed her belongings and followed Narcissa to their dormitory. 

* * *

February was nearing its end when on a gloomy afternoon Serena was sitting on her bed, listlessly leafing through James' Animagus book. Since the evening when Sirius had kissed her for the first time, her progress on the subject had come to a standstill. 

After frittering away two weeks with snogging instead of learning, her Animagus education had come to a complete halt a week ago. Since then, she spent her spare time in her bed, the curtains drawn. She wasn't doing much, only staring into space, sometimes crying, and often mentally cursing herself for being so foolish. 

Lunchtime was near, but she wasn't hungry. Even if she had been, she wouldn't have gone to the Great Hall. She had already missed breakfast and a lot more meals since Valentine's Day. If Narcissa hadn't been so insistent about it, Serena would have missed every meal at every day. If she had had a choice, she would have stayed in bed the whole time, missing lessons too, not willing to face anyone. 

The door to the dorm opened and from the sound of the footsteps Serena could tell that it was Narcissa who entered in a hurry. Serena could barely hide the book under her pillow before Narcissa opened the curtains and jumped onto the bed. 

"You never guess what happened," she excitedly told Serena, trying to get her breath back. Apparently she had run all the way to the dorm, eager to share the news with her friend. 

Without any trace of enthusiasm, Serena replied, "Then I won't. I'm not interested in it anyway." 

"But you really should be, because it involved Severus and Sirius Black." 

Serena lifted her head. Severus _and_ Sirius? She wasn't sure if this information changed her mind or if she now didn't want to hear it at all. 

In any case, Narcissa didn't wait for her to come to terms with herself and continued, "Severus has spent last night in the medical ward. Rumours are that Black played a prank on Severus, and that he overdid it this time and nearly killed Severus. Rumours are also that Black did that deliberately." 

Suddenly, life came in Serena's formerly indifferent expression. Shocked, she asked, "What? How's Sev? Is he all right?" As an afterthought, she added, "Sirius wouldn't actually try to kill him, would he? What exactly did he do?" 

Narcissa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I've asked around but no one seems to know anything definite. You could ask Severus, of course. If he's going to tell anyone what happened, it would be you." She sighed. "But you'd need to stop wallowing in self pity and leave your bed for that." 

Serena had already grabbed a shoe from under her bed, fumbling with the laces. Her current despondent state wasn't Severus' fault and she wanted to know if he was all right. She just hoped that she wouldn't meet Sirius on her way to the infirmary. 

Narcissa stopped her. "I didn't say you should go immediately. As far as I've heard, Severus already left the infirmary, and he's at the Headmaster's office right now." 

Serena slipped off her shoe and dropped it back on the floor. Dismissively, she answered, "Okay, then I'll wait until he returns. Thanks for telling me." 

She lay down on her stomach, turning her back on Narcissa, and expected Narcissa to go and leave her alone again. But her wish wasn't fulfilled, Narcissa showed no intention to leave. 

"In the meantime we could talk a bit, don't you think?" 

"No." 

As if she hadn't heard Serena, Narcissa continued, "I really don't get it. What has happened between the two of them that Black even tries to kill Severus?" 

Hoping that Narcissa would finally give up and leave, Serena stayed silent. 

But Narcissa could be as obstinate as Serena. "I know, they always couldn't stand each other. But since Valentine's Day it's got worse. Much worse. And I can't help the impression that it must have had something to do with your date. Why won't you tell me what happened?" 

"Because you'd probably laugh at me. Or think I'm stupid." Serena bit her tongue. She hadn't wanted to say that aloud. 

Narcissa shook her head. "Don't worry, I already think you're a bit stupid, or you'd never have accepted the invitation of Hogwarts biggest skirt chaser to the Valentine's Day ball. And I promise, I won't laugh. Come on, you'll certainly feel better if you pour out your heart to me." 

"He's no skirt chaser," came the huffy reply. "That's just his reputation. Which is wrong." 

"Says the girl who's been dumped after one evening, wearing a love bite on her neck. And why on earth are you still defending him? Did he hex your brain or what?" 

"It wasn't only one evening," Serena said, turning around again and facing Narcissa. 

Noticing that Narcissa's arched eyebrows almost reached her hairline, Serena sighed. "You must swear that you won't breathe a word about it to anyone or I won't tell you anything more." 

Narcissa thought for a moment, desire for gossip battling with the fact that even if she knew it, she wasn’t supposed to share it. After a moment she said, "I need to hear this. Okay, I swear, I keep it to myself." 

Taking a deep breath, Serena steeled herself for sharing the most embarrassing experience in her life. "Well, firstly, Sirius' invitation didn't come out of the blue," she began. "We'd already been seeing each other for a while, on the sly." 

She fervently hoped that Narcissa wouldn't inquire about the reason or details of their earlier meetings. After all, she couldn't tell her about the Animagus lessons. 

But Narcissa was obviously too stunned to say anything but, "You met with him before?" 

"Yes, and we had a great time. He's smarter than you'd think, and funny too. And he's a good kisser." Serena felt the tips of her ears starting to burn at the confession. Fortunately they were covered with hair. "It was wonderful, he made me feel as if I had a whole bunch of butterflies in my stomach. And we decided to make Valentine's Day our special day. Go together to the ball, make our relationship publicly known, do the next step -" 

"Merlin's beard!" Narcissa cried out, beside herself with agitation. "Please tell me that you don't mean that you slept with him!" 

"But I mean exactly this." 

"Oh no! How could you!" 

"I'm sixteen, almost seventeen. It seems as if I'm the last virgin here, hearing you always rhapsodise about Lucius, or Bellatrix about Rodolphus, or Patricia about whoever her lover of the week is," Serena replied defensively. "That's sometimes so frustrating. I wanted to know what it feels like, and I thought, Sirius could be the right one for this." 

Narcissa covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. In a serious tone, she said, "For your information, Patricia's a slut and you don't want to be like her. Bella's only boasting, and since when do you care about her? And I have never claimed that I had ever gone _that far_ with Lucius. Oh, why didn't you ask me beforehand? I would've talked you out of this idiocy." 

Narcissa froze suddenly, when a new, horrible thought hit her. "That bastard!" she exclaimed. "So he bedded you and afterwards he dumped you? How dare he!" 

"Calm down, it wasn't exactly like that - maybe a bit - but it wasn't his fault alone." 

"Indeed? How?" 

"Well, we went to the feast together. After we had enough of dancing, we left the Great Hall to breathe some fresh air. Sirius led me to a beautiful place at the lake, hidden behind a large hedge and with a fantastic view over the water. A blanket, enchanted with a Warming Charm, a picnic-basket and lit candles were already waiting. It was truly romantic." Serena sighed. 

"The picnic was delicious, and dessert... well... it was obviously not his first dessert, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing." 

Curiosity had apparently replaced Narcissa's outrage, because now she was listening with rapt attention. "And what did he do?" 

"He showed me some very interesting things. His kisses... I just can't describe. Wherever he touched me, it felt as if he set my skin on fire. And then..." She trailed off. Blushing, she said, "Let's say it was something I can't compare with anything I've experienced before. It was just great until... until..." She started to stammer, couldn't bring herself quite to say it. 

Narcissa took Serena's hand, squeezing it encouragingly. 

With a guilty look, Serena confessed, "I... I didn't pay much attention as to what escaped my throat, I can't even remember if it were real words or only inarticulate noises. Anyway, when it came to an end, when I came, I cried his name - or so I thought. And Sirius suddenly stiffened, his whole body went rigid. He stared at me, incredulity written all over his face. He shouted, 'What? I can't believe this!' And I asked, startled, 'What is it? What's with you?' But he didn't answer. His face was furious, and he got up, grabbed his clothes and left, literally ran away." 

"That was absolutely insensitive. I can't understand that you still defend him after being so rude to you." Narcissa shook her head, aggravated. 

"I had no idea what that was about, but I was determined to find it out. The next day I cornered him, asking him what the hell had got into him. He was upset that I apparently didn't know. But finally he told me what had jarred him." 

Since she didn't continue, Narcissa impatiently urged her friend, "Merlin, you drive me crazy! Serena, spill it out, what was it?" 

If it was possible, Serena blushed even more. She cast her eyes down, unable to look into Narcissa's face while she struggled to answer. "I... didn't cry out his name. It was just a slip of my tongue, but it ruined everything." 

"And? What WAS it?" Narcissa groaned, running out of patience. 

"I cried out 'Severus', not 'Sirius'. And I didn't even notice it. But Sirius did. And he told me that he could overlook a lot, but not that. And that it would be better if we didn't see each other anymore." Serena snuffled despairingly, hiding her face in her hands. 

"Great, huh? I manage to mess up everything. Not only that I drove him away. Now Sirius's apparently jealous of Sev, utterly groundless, just because I'm unable to articulate correctly." 

"Groundless? I doubt it. Such slips aren't groundless. You obviously fancy Severus!" Narcissa rejoiced. "I always knew you and Severus were made for each other. Oh, that's splendid!" 

"No, that's utter rubbish. 'Severus' only sounds similar to 'Sirius'. I couldn't have meant him, or I would have said Sev, not Severus. This slip means nothing. It mustn't!" 

"But why not?" 

"Because Sev's my friend. My dearest and closest friend. I'll never find a friend like him again. I don't want to lose him." 

"Lose? But you wouldn't lose him." 

"Oh yes, I would! Sev has never shown any sign of _that_ kind of interest in me. If I told him I fancied him, it'd probably embarrass him. Certainly it'd destroy our friendship, or at least put a strain on it. I'm not even sure if I have such feelings for him. Since he's my best friend, it's only natural that I think of him quite often. It was just a very unfortunate moment to do so." 

"Serena, who are you trying to convince that you're not interested in Severus? Me or yourself? You can spare your effort in any case. It doesn't matter what I think, and you can't deceive yourself." 

"I don't. I'm just... uncertain about my feelings. Anyway, I want to remind you of your promise to not tell anyone, and this means especially Sev. He mustn't know, in any case. We are only friends and I want it to stay that way." 

Narcissa nodded in agreement. "Of course I'll keep my promise. I won't tell Severus anything." 

Serena looked suspiciously at Narcissa. This answer had come a tad too fast. 

"And I forbid you to try to play match-maker or encourage Sev to anything by dropping mysterious hints. Is that clear?" 

Judging by Narcissa's pouted mouth, Serena had obviously correctly guessed Narcissa's ulterior thoughts. Intransigent, Serena stared at her friend until Narcissa threw her hands in the air in a resigning gesture and answered, "Okay, okay. I won't try anything. But I'm still convinced that you're making a mistake here." 

* * *

Confiding in Narcissa had had a relieving effect on Serena. She finally gave up her sulky demeanour and step-by-step resumed her normal life again. If she could help it, she avoided being in the same room as Sirius, though. This also meant that she didn't meet him for further Animagus lessons. Fortunately, James had long since recovered from his cold and could return to Serena's tutoring. After a month's pause, she recommenced with new energy and determination. 

Weeks passed and with every new day the sun managed to drive the winter a bit farther away. The days grew longer and warmer, spring passed, and the advent of summer became evident. 

Even if Serena still often got the impression that they were stuck, James assured her that they were making good progress. Many wizards wouldn't come that far in their entire life, whereas Serena had worked through the book and understood the concepts in less than six months. 

Serena had begun to perform the preparation spell a while ago. This spell was necessary to gradually adjust her metabolism. It would enable her body to cope with the extensive changes that it would undergo with every transformation. It also laid the foundation for the ability to trigger the later conversions with a mere thought and no need of a wand. 

During the last weeks, James had brought several objects and small animals with him. He had made Serena turn them into animals of almost every kind until she could do it with her eyes shut. He had even allowed Serena to transfigure him ad nauseam. Even if giving someone else an animal form was done with a different spell that was much easier, it was still a good way to prepare for performing the Animagus spell. During the last three sessions, James had magicked Serena into various animals in order to give her an impression how it felt to be in another, non-human shape. 

Now, all the prerequisites were met, and all possible training was done. This evening Serena would attempt to get over the last hurdle - her first Animagus transformation. This was the most complicated part of the entire project, and also the part that could have the direst consequences if not performed correctly. 

When Serena entered the dungeon, James was already waiting for her. Remus and Peter were present too. She stopped dead upon seeing them. 

"What do they want here?" she asked James warily. 

"They want to watch. They don't believe that you'll succeed tonight. And the spell can be dangerous, you know. If something should go wrong, it's better to have some people ready to help you, or at least try to." 

_'Fortunately, they didn't bring Sirius along,'_ Serena thought somewhat relieved. _'I certainly couldn't concentrate if he was here.'_

Aloud, she said, "Okay, then let the show begin." 

Serena closed the door behind her and walked over to James who held a piece of parchment. Getting closer, she recognised it as the Animagus spell's incantation. 

When she reached for it, James drew back, not letting her take it. "Not so fast," he interrupted her. "You know, the spell requires absolute concentration. At first you should do the relaxation exercise I've shown you to free your mind of all unnecessary burdens." 

Ten minutes later, James scrutinised Serena's expression. Satisfied with what he saw, he handed the parchment over to her. Serena pointed her wand at her heart and read the words out, striving to adhere to everything that James had taught her. But when she finished the incantation, nothing happened. 

"Well, it would have been a miracle if you'd accomplished the transformation with the first try," James commented on her failure. "It wasn't even bad, only the intonation wasn't quite right. Try it again." 

And Serena tried it again. And again, and again, and again. Eventually James found nothing to criticise about the intonation anymore, but it still didn't work. 

"Unfortunately I can't look into your mind, so I can't tell you what you're doing wrong. But you need to establish the correct kind of feeling and thinking to make the transformation happen. Remember the book, it was explained there," James tried to help her. 

Serena nodded and recalled the chapter of the Animagus book that James referred to. Three attempts later she still was in her human form, filled with growing disappointment. 

James took the paper from her, folded it, and reached for the door. "I think we should call it a night. Don't be sad, Serena. It's better that nothing happens rather than getting stuck halfway through the transformation. We could try again tomorrow night." 

Serena wanted to protest, wanted to repeat the spell a few more times. Peter changed into his rat form and scurried out of the door. Serena watched him disappear into the corridor, sighing. Her goal had been so near, and now it had receded into the distance again. All she wanted was to be able to transform and scurry through the corridors without being identified by others like Peter did. Feeling the yearning rise within her, she suddenly knew what had been missing. 

She snatched the parchment back from her brother's hand and recited the words again, this time also concentrating on the part of her that was wild and untamed. The part of her that wanted to roam freely, that didn't want to use the Invisibility Cloak to get into the Restricted Section of the library. The part she usually kept hidden under the surface. The part of her that she had tried to suppress tonight as usual, in order to be able to concentrate harder. 

The Animagus spell would turn her into an animal that corresponded to her true character. That meant she wouldn't transform as long as she wasn't completely herself. This was the main reason why most wizards never mastered the Animagus spell. People played roles, didn't show their true self to other people. This went so far that they often didn't even know anymore who they really were. Because of that they couldn't completely be themselves and as a result they couldn't transform. 

Suddenly the dungeon around her began to grow. James and Remus did as well. They grew? No, Serena shrank. The boys stared at her, astonished. Did their expression mean that she did something wrong? Had she messed up the spell, shrinking herself instead of transfiguring? Worried, she lifted her hand to look how small her fingers had become. But she didn't have a hand anymore. Instead she was looking at a furry paw. It was equipped with claws that she could draw in! Curiously, she looked farther down at herself. Sitting on her backside now, she was able to count four legs. Her whole body was covered with grey-brown fur, sprinkled with spots and stripes. And she was able to hear and smell things she hadn't noticed before. James' and Remus' breathing rushed in her ears like waterfalls. And the boys were sweating! 

"You could really do with a shower," she wanted to say, but all she uttered was a guttural growl. Startled, Remus jumped backwards. 

Serena cast a curious glance into the mirror that James was holding for her. If her face still had allowed it she had grinned broadly. A lynx was returning her gaze from the mirror. A stunning beautiful lynx, she thought, having always had a liking for all sorts of cats. Serena wanted to speak but remembered that she couldn't as long as she was in her Animagus form. She had to change back into her human body first. As soon as the thought had occurred to her she felt herself growing. The fur and the claws vanished and she was her human self again. 

"I'm impressed!” James exclaimed, and flung his arms around her neck, hugging her tight. "You actually did it! And you're a pretty nice lynx, I must say." 

Remus smiled as well. "Congratulations," he said appreciatively. "Now you're an Animagus." His face sobered up when he added, "And a law-breaker." 

Ignoring Remus' last remark, Serena was almost bursting with pride and joy. She had indeed mastered it! 

"Now, you could try it again," James said, "It should work without wand..." 

Serena didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. Briefly wondering, how she should transform without her wand and without saying the incantation again, she recalled how it had felt to be a lynx and instantly she turned into one again. Now, that she knew what animal she'd turn into, it was much easier. 

She transformed back and said, "Thank you, Jim. Thank you very much for your help. But now we should really go, it's already past curfew." 

James nodded. "Yes, we should. Good night, Serena. And remember, you mustn't tell anyone about it!" 

* * *

Filled with joy and feeling ready to tackle anything, Serena returned to the Slytherin common room. She found Severus impatiently waiting for her. 

"Hey Serena!" he greeted her. "I was already worrying about your whereabouts, it's past curfew." 

"Oops, really?" Serena pretended to be surprised, hoping it would be convincing enough. "I lost track of time, I suppose. Anyway, is there a particular reason why you've been waiting for me?" 

Severus' expression became considerably sterner when he nodded. "Yes, indeed." 

Glancing around, he seized her arm and steered her into a dim corner, away from the other present Slytherins. A bookshelf secluded this place from the rest of the common room, effectively obstructing the view from the tables to the corner. Serena wondered what Severus was planning, when he stopped, still holding her close to him. 

He bent down until their heads were on the same level and only inches apart. Her heart doubled its pace and her hands became clammy. Questions exploded in her spinning head like fireworks. What was he doing? Was he going to kiss her? But why should he do that all of a sudden? Had Narcissa spoken to him, despite her promise not to? 

Unable to move or even breathe, she watched Severus' face coming still closer and then sideways moving past her face, without his lips touching hers. Finally he stopped, his mouth next to her left ear, whispering something. 

The blood in her ears rushed so loud that she didn't understand it. 

"Pardon?" she asked sheepishly, realising that the idea of him kissing her had only been wishful thinking. She mentally cursed herself for not being able to suppress these foolish thoughts. 

"I was saying you better return this as soon as possible," Severus repeated, still maintaining the lowest possible volume without being inaudible. 

With a snap Serena came back to reality. She became aware of something hard pressing against her body. Looking down, she saw that it was a black book that Severus had produced from his robe, labelled _Compendium of Calamitous Curses_. 

Serena's face fell upon recognising it. "How... where did you get that?" 

"From where you hid it - under your pillow." Severus snorted. "Honestly, Serena, that's the stupidest place where you can hide something. Rendering it untraceable with magic doesn't help much if you put it where everyone would look first." 

"What business do you have prying into my things?" Serena answered back with a sharper voice than intended. She didn't like the thought of someone rummaging through her personal belongings at all, even if it was Severus. 

"I was saving your arse, no need to be grateful," Severus snapped, mirroring Serena's angry tone. "An hour ago, I was about to round a corner at the first floor, when I overheard two Gryffindors talking about a book of Dark Curses missing from the Restricted Section and the professors searching for it. Thinking of you and the new curses that you showed me recently, I wondered if you could have taken the book. I couldn't find you in the common room, so I went to your dorm. You weren't there, but neither was anyone else. I decided to have a quick look, and I didn't even need to go through your belongings, your pillow was the first thing I examined. I hid the book in my robe and left - just in time before our Head of House entered the common room and announced the search of our bags, common room, and dormitories for exactly this compendium." 

Serena paled. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She took the book and hid it in her robe. "Then I should smuggle it back tonight." 

"But be careful! I wouldn't put it past the staff to have someone watch the Restricted Section, hoping to have stirred enough commotion to make the one who stole the book clandestinely return it." 

Serena nodded in agreement. "That's likely. But they won't catch me, I'll see to that." She glanced at Severus. The annoyance had vanished from her expression, being replaced by gratefulness. Following an impulse, she hugged him and muttered, "Thanks a million for saving my neck. I owe you." 

* * *

Saturday morning Serena entered the Great Hall with half-closed eyes, barely seeing where she went. She spotted Severus at the Slytherin table, currently spreading butter on his bread, and sat down next to him. 

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he greeted her. 

"Morning," Serena mumbled in reply, yawning. 

"What's with you, had a bad night?" 

"You say it. Bellatrix didn't sleep well either - she was tossing and turning and moaning in her sleep. She kept me awake the whole night. I was severely tempted to sneak over to her bed and strangle her into silence." 

Snorting ill temperedly, Serena stabbed vigorously at the scrambled eggs that had appeared in front of her. "But I refrained from it. We cannot risk losing points; our lead over Gryffindor is only marginal and I can't stand the idea of them winning the house cup again." 

She poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice, adding as a second thought, "I think I'll go back to bed after breakfast, maybe I can make up for my lost sleep then." 

"She's been having visions for years now, and you never complained before." 

"Most of the time I'm able to ignore her. I only need to fall asleep before she does, then it's okay. But last night she kept muttering about Slytherin's monster still hiding in Hogwarts and kept crying out loud _'Avert your eyes! Avert your eyes!'_ , which woke me up again whenever I was about to fall asleep." 

In that moment a rustling, steadily increasing in volume, announced the arrival of the morning mail. A tiny owl, looking like a feathered, winged tennis-ball, fluttered across the table and let a piece of parchment plunge into Serena's glass. Both Serena and Severus jumped up to avoid being splashed all over with juice. 

"That was the Headmaster's owl," Severus noted. "What could he possibly want from you - on a Saturday?" 

"I have no clue." Serena fished the note out of her glass and put it on the table. She dried it with a flick of her wand and broke the seal. It contained only a short message: 

_Miss Serena Potter,_

_Please put in an appearance in my office after breakfast._

_Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster etc._

"Quite short, sounds like trouble," Severus commented. Lowering his voice to barely above a whisper, he added, "You returned that book without getting caught, didn't you?" 

Serena nodded. "Yes, I did, already three days ago." 

After gulping down the rest of her juice, Serena headed for the exit of the Great Hall. Inwardly, she didn't feel nearly as calm and serene as she was displaying outwardly. What did Dumbledore have in mind? Did he perhaps know that she had been the one who stole the book? Had he somehow found out about her nightly excursions to the library and her learning of Dark Magic? Or that she was an Animagus? If that was the case, she was probably being called to his office to have her wand broken and to get expelled. 

* * *

Shortly after Serena had left the Great Hall, Lucius Malfoy got up from his seat at the other end of the Slytherin table, heading directly towards Severus. 

"Hello Snape," he said, making an effort to appear amiable, and sat down. "Where's your shadow gone?" 

"If you're talking about Serena, that's none of your business. And I can't remember inviting you to sit with me. Why don't you go back to your friends, before they start rumours about us?" 

Lucius gave a short, affected laugh. "Oh, pleasant as always." The forced smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "I need to have a private word with you." 

Severus shrugged his shoulders with indifference. "Seems like now would be your chance." 

Lucius inhaled deeply, looking cautiously around. No one sat near enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. He leaned over the table and begun, "I know you've still a year of school ahead of you. But have you ever thought about the time after Hogwarts? What you'll do then? The reason why I'm asking is that you're bloody good at Potions. I know someone who would be very interested in making use of your skills."


	10. Hogsmeade Trip

_(Halloween, October 1995)_

"Have you ever tried butterbeer, Jon?" Ron asked between two bites of bacon at breakfast. Jon, whose mouth was full of bread and honey, shook his head in reply. 

"You'll love it. It's the world's most delicious drink," Ron told him excitedly. "You'll see." 

Jon swallowed his bread. "Butterbeer," he said, briefly inclining his head, "is now added to my list." 

Fred and George entered the Great Hall, sitting down at the Gryffindor table next to Harry and Ron. They had overheard Jon mentioning butterbeer and Fred (Or was it George? Jon could never tell one from the other.) asked, "Well, Jon, what do you think of Hogsmeade so far?" 

With a big grin, Jon answered, "Harry and Ron have praised it to the skies. For days I haven't heard anything from them but Hogsmeade this and Hogsmeade that. If everything they told me is true, it must be heaven on earth. Are you two going to the village this afternoon?" 

"Oh, absolutely," George (or Fred?) chimed in. "We have important business to attend to." 

"Business?" 

Fred and George gave each other meaningful looks, but didn't answer. Instead, Ron gave Jon an explanation. 

"They want to convince the owner of Zonko's to buy their Canary Creams. And maybe get into long-term business dealings with them." 

Jon nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think that could work." 

He recalled his first evening at Hogwarts, when Ron's brothers had given him a welcome present - an innocent looking custard cream that had tasted delicious but had turned him into a giant yellow canary. After he had overcome his initial shock, he had enthusiastically bought a couple of Canary Creams from the twins and presented them to his mum at the next opportunity. 

While Ron's brothers piled enough food on their plates to feed a whole Quidditch team, the owl post arrived. Pigwidgeon dropped a letter into Harry's lap and landed screeching and fluttering on his Pumpkin Pasty. After Harry had given Pig a piece of it, the tiny feathered ball spread his wings with a last overexcited shriek and left for the Owlery. 

Hermione had received mail as well. It was a thick, heavy letter and when Hermione read the sender's name, her expression brightened noticeably. Eagerly she broke the seal and began to read. 

Harry tore open his letter as eagerly as Hermione had opened hers, but in contrast to her his face darkened when he read on. It was only a short letter and he finished it with a frown after half a minute. 

"What's in it?" Ron asked Harry, worried about this sudden change of mood. 

"The letter's from Sirius. He -" Harry began, but was interrupted by Jon's gasp. 

"Sirius Black? The murderer who escaped Azkaban two years ago and is still at large?" 

Harry shook vehemently his head. "Sirius is no murderer! He's innocent. Peter Pettigrew did the murders, but made it look like Sirius had." 

"Really?" Sceptically, Jon frowned. "But why's the Ministry still searching for him if he's innocent? And why's he hiding then?" 

"Because Pettigrew has disappeared, and no one's believing Sirius' innocence if he can't prove it." 

"No one but you, apparently. Why?" Jon wondered. 

"Because it's the truth. And Dumbledore trusts him too," Ron butted in. Considering this to be a sufficient explanation, he came to the point that was of more interest for him. "Harry, why's Sirius writing to you?" 

"I wrote to him and Remus, telling them about Serena and asking them about her. And this," he said, lifting the letter, "is Sirius' answer." 

"What's he saying?" Three pairs of eyes looked inquiringly at him. 

Noting his friends' attention, Harry sighed. "Basically nothing. He wrote that if Serena won't tell me, he won't either. But he's sure she's trustworthy. And about my question if he knows why Serena and Snape don't get along he wrote that he doesn't know, but he also wrote that - and I quote - _'it's good that she finally came to her senses and got rid of the greasy git.'_ " 

"Sounds as if he too doesn't like Snape much," Jon commented, chuckling. 

"As if anyone would," Ron said, his dislike for Snape evident on his face. "But these two are at a particular nasty feud. Sirius played a prank at him once and Snape's still whining about it." 

Once again, Harry sighed. "Sirius was obviously a dead-end," he said, downhearted. 

"But maybe this'll cheer you up," Hermione chimed in, looking extremely pleased with herself and smiling. Her expression reminded the others of many occasions when Hermione had found the answer to a problem in a book. 

"How?" Harry asked in a doubtful tone. 

"Like you know, or probably not, the Oxford University Library contains not only a huge collection of Muggle books, but has a magical department as well. It's even bigger than the Hogwarts library. I was working there for a couple of weeks last summer, helping with the stocktaking and updating the catalogue. It was the best summer job I ever had -" 

"Could you come to the point, please?" Ron urged her impatiently. 

"Among other things they're archiving a copy of each issue of the wizarding newspapers. I wrote to my friend Shona who's working at the library, asking her to go through the old records, looking for information about Serena Potter. I thought, maybe Jon's mum did something that was noteworthy enough to get into the newspapers, something that'd give us a clue about her past. And these -", she smoothed the thick letter in front of her, "are copies of what Shona found." 

The three boys looked at her with mingled amazement and admiration. 

"That was a great idea, Hermione! Why haven't you told us about it?" 

Hermione had been right - Harry looked better, and highly interested. 

"I didn't want to raise your hopes in case Shona didn't find anything. But she did. The first is an article from the _Daily Prophet_ from June 1976 about the tower that Professor Potter blew up as student. They made a big fuss over whether or not the Hogwarts staff was able to ensure the students' safety. There's no word about the fact that no one was badly injured." 

Hermione skimmed the rest of the page for any more useful information and groaned when she read the author's name. 

"I should have known it! _'Written by the ambitious and up-and-coming young Rita Skeeter'_. She hasn't changed her writing style one bit since then." 

"Is there anything we don't know already?" Harry asked curiously. 

Hermione looked at the next page. "Yes, this here. But I'm not sure if it's helping us. It's another _Daily Prophet_ article, saying that two groups of young people clashed violently in Diagon Alley on the night of July 15, 1978. Residents reported them to the Aurors for disturbing the peace. They were arrested before they could do serious harm to each other. However, after spending one night in the drying-out cell all of them were released. Shona has done some further research and attached a list of all people involved." 

Hermione took the small note that was attached to the article's copy with a paper clip, and placed it in the middle of the table, the list of names for all clearly to see. 

_Black, Sirius,  
Dolohov, Antonin  
Lestrange, Bellatrix  
Lestrange, Rodolphus  
Longbottom, Frank  
Lupin, Remus  
Malfoy, Lucius  
Pettigrew, Peter  
Potter, James  
Potter, Serena  
Snape, Severus_

"Looks like a fight between followers and opponents of You-Know-Who," Ron said after reading the list. 

Harry gave Ron a long thoughtful look. "You should really start to call him by his name. It's rather easy. Vol-de-mort. It's only a name, after all. Anyway, you seem to be right." 

"Wow, Mum was in prison!" Jon grinned broadly. "That's great!" 

"Is it?" Ron cast a puzzled look at Jon. 

"Oh yeah, that's a priceless counter. Imagine, if she tells me off the next time, I can answer, _'Oh, Mum, I know it was bad, but at least_ I _wasn't sent to jail!'_ She can't give me a hard punishment after this, don't you think so?" 

Ron contemplated Jon's answer for a moment, and then blurted out, "Hermione, could you ask your friend to find out if my mum has done anything in her youth that got her arrested? She tells me off a lot more often than Jon's mother does with him." 

Harry had silently followed the dialogue between Jon and Ron, but since it strayed more and more away, he asked in order to get the discussion back to the original topic, "What else did Shona find, Hermione?" 

Hermione leafed through a couple of colourful pages with many pictures that were stapled together. "These pages are from _Witch Weekly_. It's about the wedding of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy in August 1978. Must have been a huge event, they filled more than half of the issue with it. There's an entire page devoted to the bridal gown alone." Hermione shook her head in disbelief. 

"Malfoy's wedding? What's that to do with Serena? Was she a guest at the wedding?" Harry asked. 

"Oh, she was more than just a guest." Hermione answered. "She was a bridesmaid. One of two bridesmaids, actually." She put the paper in the middle of the table and showed them a picture, captioned with _'The happy bride amidst her best friends and bridesmaids Bellatrix Lestrange and Serena Potter'_. 

Jon looked at the picture. His mum was pretty young, just out of school actually. She wore a pink floor-length bridesmaid dress and her mischievous grin that he knew very well, waving merrily to the camera together with the bride and the other bridesmaid. 

"If she was best friends with Narcissa Malfoy, she was probably also friends with Lucius Malfoy. Perhaps more than just friends..." Harry mused. 

Hermione gave him a reproving glare. After they had eavesdropped on the argument between Snape and Serena, nobody had mentioned the issue of Jon's father again. At first, everyone had been too shocked. Later they had silently agreed to wait for Jon to touch on the subject, but he had preferred to not say another word about it. 

Jon clenched his teeth. More or less successful, he had repressed any thoughts about that argument. He hadn't even talked to his mum about it for fear of getting a confirmation of being a Malfoy. 

"Mum would never sleep with her best friend's husband!" he defended her stubbornly. "Only because Snape's assuming things, they don't have to be true!" 

"But she didn't deny it when Snape accused her," Harry replied. 

"But she didn't confirm it either!" 

Jon took the pile of pages and looked through it in search of a picture of the bridal couple. When he found one, he pointed to Lucius Malfoy's pointed face, framed with long, smooth, pale blonde hair. "Here, look at him! And now look at me! There's no similarity whatsoever between us!" 

"Well, you look like Serena. Your father could look like a Kappa, or, for that matter, like Lucius Malfoy, because you obviously didn't inherit much of his appearance," Harry objected. 

Ron concurred with Harry. "Yeah, Jon, the biggest difference between you and your mother is your height. She's small, and you're not. Now guess who's also tall." 

"About two thirds of the male population, I dare say. Lucius Malfoy's NOT my father! I refuse to believe that bullshit!" 

"Calm down again, it's only a theory, after all," Harry said, trying to mollify Jon. 

"And what you all seem to have forgotten: Harry said that Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater. Why should Professor Potter start an affair with a Death Eater?" Hermione added thoughtfully. 

Jon nodded in agreement. "A voice of reason, at last. You see, it can't be. Now let's see what else Shona found. Hermione?" 

Following Jon's clear wish to drop this topic, Hermione turned her attention back to the stack of newspaper copies. There was only one page left, which Hermione perused quickly. 

"The last article's from the _Daily Prophet_ again, about an explosion in St. Mungos in October 1979. It's not directly about Serena, but Shona attached it anyway. The blast killed a nurse and two visitors. Shona identified them as Serena's parents." Casting a quick glance at Harry and Jon, Hermione added, "Your grandparents. The reporter suspected that Death Eaters set off a bomb in the hospital, and ranted and raved about how the Ministry hasn't enough Aurors to investigate such incidents properly." 

Neither Harry nor Jon felt like commenting on this piece of news. After a minute of silence, Hermione continued, scanning Shona's letter again, "There's one more thing - Shona writes that she vaguely remembers hearing the name Serena Potter in connection with one of the numerous Death Eater trials that took place after You-Know- erm... Voldemort's downfall." 

"Mum stood a Death Eater trial? That can't be!" Jon blurted out, upset that someone could even think such an atrocious thing about his mother. Accusing her of being a Death Eater was even worse than allegedly having an affair with one. "I know her, she's nothing like a Death Eater! She's friendly, loving -" 

"No one said that she stood a trial! Shona only remembers that she heard her name in connection with one," Hermione said, interrupting Jon's outburst. "For all we know she could've been there as a witness, spectator, or heaven knows what. And even if she was the defendant, the fact that she isn't in Azkaban should tell you something." 

"Isn't there any more information about that trial?" Harry asked. 

"No, unfortunately not. The newspapers didn't yield anything. Files about Death Eater trials are kept under lock and key in the Ministry. You can't just go in and have a look. You must fill out a heap of forms and give a very convincing reason why you want access." 

"So we're as stupid as ever," Harry summarised their conversation, not hiding his disappointment. 

Looking disappointed about the unhelpful letter as well, Hermione sighed and didn't answer. 

Perhaps he should ask his mum about the arrest, Jon thought, ask her if indeed she had fought supporters of Lord Voldemort that night. 

"By the way, it's time for Quidditch," Ron suddenly spoke, sounding urgent. 

Hermione looked at the clock above the entrance to the Great Hall. "I thought, the Quidditch qualifier started at ten? There's still more than an hour left." 

"That's right," Jon concurred with Hermione. "But, as you know, Ron's fiercely determined to make it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year. Harry and I have promised to practise with him and warm him up for the tryout." 

"Oh, that's why you've brought already your broomsticks with you. But why didn't you bring the balls as well? Do you only want to practise flying?" Hermione asked, trying to show at least a bit of interest in her friends' Quidditch ambitions. 

Ron, suddenly paling, cast a searching gaze around and rose from his seat. "Erm, I'll be back in a minute," he called and hurried out of the Great Hall. 

"He's so enthusiastic about getting onto the team that he could hardly sleep last night, and now he forgot the Quidditch balls?" Jon shook his head, amused. He was glad that for once, it wasn't him who'd forgotten to bring something important. 

"Probably his mind was too occupied with caring for his new broomstick," Harry guessed. 

Fred agreed, "Yeah, after Ron worked so hard all summer long to earn enough money to buy a Firebolt III, he's now outright obsessed with it." 

"You should have seen him. All through the holidays, Ron counted his money every evening and calculated for us how many galleons he still needed and how long he had to work to get them," George chimed in. 

"Right, exactly three more months -", Fred said. 

"Five days -", George continued. 

"And four hours," Fred finished. 

"But he's already bought the new broom", Jon said, puzzled. "Has he borrowed the rest of the money?" 

"No, a sudden win of 200 Galleons in a lottery sped up the whole process considerably." 

"Lottery? Ron took part in a lottery to win the money for his broomstick?" Hermione shook her head. "Then he was very lucky to actually have won. If you calculate the chances of it..." 

"In point of fact, he didn't. We bought a ticket for him, because we knew the holidays weren't long enough to earn so much money. And then we prayed for luck and voila - he won!" The twins grinned broadly. 

At that moment, Ron returned, holding a brown box that contained a set of Quidditch balls. He grabbed his broomstick that he had left behind so he could run up the stairs faster and gave Harry and Jon an impatient look. 

"You're coming, to watch Ron at the tryout, aren't you?" Harry asked Hermione, rising from the bench. 

"Yes, I wouldn't want to miss it. If only to avoid Ron retelling each second of it later, and repeating it countless times." Hermione smiled, ignoring Ron's indignant glare, and got up as well. "Until then, I'll go to the library. Chances are small, but perhaps I can find something about that trial. See you later." With these words she turned and left. 

Jon swallowed the last mouthful of his breakfast and headed, together with Ron, for the door. When they noticed that Harry didn't follow immediately, they stopped in the doorway, waiting for him. 

Harry had stayed behind because he wanted to talk to the twins without Ron hearing it. But he didn't even need to open his mouth; Fred and George knew very well what Harry was about to say. 

"He wouldn't have taken it otherwise. You know, Ron's terribly stubborn and proud," George explained, aware that Harry had seen through their little ploy. 

"And we promised you that we wouldn't let anyone know that we have so much money," Fred added. "So this was the only way." 

Harry smiled. "I won't breathe a word to Ron. And thank you for helping him out. The Firebolt III means a lot to him." Then he hurried after his waiting friends. 

"Why did you take so long?" Ron wondered. 

"Oh, nothing. I had only a question about the tryout. Now let's go." 

* * *

At the stroke of ten the annual Quidditch tryout started. The four Houses had their tryouts at half-hour-intervals, and Gryffindor was the second team this year. Madam Hooch kept a list with the names of all students who wanted to apply for a position. There were mostly second and third years, but also a few older students. 

When Oliver Wood finished school the previous year, he left two positions vacant - Keeper and team captain. The team had been in agreement that Harry should be the new captain. To find a replacement for the Keeper's position was far more difficult. Besides Oliver, the Reserve Keeper and two Reserve Chasers had also finished Hogwarts and left the Gryffindor team. So the Quidditch tryout was looked forward to with great expectation, but also anxiety. 

Hermione and Jon had settled among other Gryffindors in the stands. But even if within the next half hour only Gryffindors showed their skills, hoping for a place on the team, the spectators weren't limited to students from Gryffindor only. Members of the other Houses were interested in the quality of Gryffindor reinforcements as well. 

Madam Hooch called the names from the list, one by one. Dependent on the position they were trying out for, the regular team members flew a couple of manoeuvres with them, let them throw and catch the Quaffle and played short impromptu Quidditch matches. Most of the applicants could fly better than average, but either they were too slow, or couldn't catch the balls, or too often missed the hoops. They were sent away with the comment, "Practise a bit more and try again next year!" 

Gradually, the team was overcome with frustration. Weren't there any talented Quidditch players in Gryffindor anymore? 

One of the few bright spots was Ron. Although Fred and George tried everything to disturb him with carefully aimed Bludgers, they couldn't hit him. Ron's Firebolt III was incredibly fast, and the extensive training was paying off, Ron's reflexes were rapid. Angelina and Alicia couldn't score much and when they landed, Ron got spontaneous applause from the spectators. 

Harry padded Ron's shoulder, grinning. "You were great!" 

Finally they had seen all the applicants and the Gryffindor team members retreated for discussion. It didn't take long until they returned and Harry told Ron, delighted, that he was unanimously chosen as the new Keeper. 

Jon and Hermione had come down from the stands and were the first after Harry to congratulate Ron. Hermione hugged Ron, but only briefly because he suddenly stiffened and blushed furiously and Hermione didn't want to embarrass him any further. 

Ron gave a loud whoop and announced enthusiastically that he'd stand a round of butterbeer in Hogsmeade for his friends to celebrate this success. As soon as the words had left his mouth, he almost regretted them, but then remembered that he had still a few galleons left over of his lottery prize and grinned joyfully. 

* * *

It seemed as if success made him hungry, because Ron devoured about twice as much food as usual at lunch. Nevertheless he managed to chatter almost incessantly about Quidditch, him being the new Keeper, and what effect this would have on the Gryffindor team. In his imagination he already held the Quidditch Cup in his hands. 

Harry let him talk, pleased that his friend was happy. Hermione had opted out of the conversation long ago, listening to Ginny instead. Jon was half-heartedly following Ron's speech and inwardly debating if his pocket money would be enough for the afternoon or if he should stop by his mum's office to ask her for some additional money, just in case. 

Half an hour later they left for Hogsmeade, Jon having two more Galleons in his pocket than at lunchtime. Ron still had his head in the clouds, but at least now and then he came down to earth just long enough to explain to Jon what was so special about Zonko's Joke shop, Honeydukes Sweetshop, the Quidditch shop or the post office. 

"You have to try out the dungbombs from Zonko's, they're fantastic!" 

"The Owlery at the post office is marvellous!" 

"The Fizzing Whizbees are a must. Taste them, you'll be amazed!" 

Finally Jon had tried out, marvelled at, and tasted everything and they decided to end their tour at the Three Broomsticks. The quartet found a free table in a corner at the far end of the pub. Jon and Hermione sat down, while Harry helped Ron to get the butterbeer that Ron had promised. 

Curiously, Jon looked around. It was crammed and loud, but still cosy. Students occupied almost every table. Next to the door, Jon could see a few professors sitting at a round table and talking animatedly. His mum was also there. Five minutes later Harry and Ron returned with four mugs of butterbeer and sat down. 

"To the new Keeper! Cheers, Ron!" Harry exclaimed. 

"You were right," Jon said after a while. "This is indeed the best drink I've ever had." 

"See what I mean? I told you so," Ron answered cheerfully, wiping froth off his upper lip. 

"Hermione, did you find anything in the library?" Harry voiced the thoughts that had been occupying most of his mind since breakfast. 

Hermione shook her head. "No. But as I said, it wasn't very likely either. I mean, if they keep the files under lock and key, they wouldn't have free accessible copies lying about at Hogwarts. What's that?" 

Her last question was directed at Jon who stared thoughtfully at a piece of parchment. 

Noticing the sudden silence at the table, Jon looked up and met inquiring looks. "Oh, this. I don't know. I found it in my cauldron, a while ago. It must have fallen off Mum's desk. Actually, I wanted to give it back to her, but I forgot. I found it in my pocket when I was reaching for money. That's so weird." 

Ron laughed. "No, I wouldn't say that. On the contrary, it's quite normal for you to forget things. Remember the last Charms lesson? You forgot your wand and to hide this fact you painted the stones with ink instead of turning them black magically." 

A big grin appeared on Jon's face when he recalled that lesson. "So what? It served its purpose - Professor Flitwick didn't notice that I was without my wand. He only complained that I should have done dry colour. But what I meant is this poem on the parchment. That's weird." 

Jon put the parchment in the middle of the table, for the others to see. They put their heads together, reading it. When they were finished, they exchanged puzzled looks. It seemed indeed to be a poem, and a strange one at that. 

_The Flash breaks the Darkness for a short time._  
_The Sun breaks the Darkness for a day._  
_But if both unite, together they'll drive_  
_The Darkness forever away._

_While the Flash will survive the Darkness,_  
_The Sun will die in torture and pain._  
_But should the Sun be killed again,_  
_Darkness will eternally reign._

"If your mum plans a career as a poet, she should better forget about it. I mean, it rhymes, but it doesn't make sense," Ron commented on the text. 

Jon shook his head. "I don't think that it's by her. Look at the bottom!" 

The poem was signed _B. Lestrange_

Hermione held her finger up, wearing a look, which expressed that she knew something that the others hadn't thought of. "Remember Shona's letter, the report about the Malfoy wedding? The other bridesmaid was Bellatrix Lestrange." 

They all nodded, remembering it now too. 

"And Bellatrix Lestrange was also on the list of people who got arrested together with Mum," Jon added. 

Ron stared at Jon, incredulity written all over his face. "You remember ten names, but you forget to take your wand to a lesson?" 

Jon shrugged his shoulders. "The names were on a list. Like potion ingredients, they're lists too. I'm good with lists. And it were eleven names." 

Before Ron could answer, Harry said quietly, a shadow creeping over his face, "Voldemort mentioned a pair of Lestranges at the graveyard last year. They're in Azkaban." He didn't mention why they were imprisoned, though. He had promised to tell no one about the Longbottoms, not even his best friends. 

"Maybe they got imprisoned for cruel verse writing?" Jon chaffed, trying to cheer Harry up. 

"They were Death Eaters," Harry answered, neither smiling nor commenting on Jon's joke. 

Hermione read the text again. "I can't help it," she said with a frown, "but that sounds so much like something Trelawney would come out with, it isn't even funny." 

"You mean, it's a prophecy?" Harry appeared sceptical. 

"It could be likely. Look at it. It talks about the future, things that _will_ happen or not. And it doesn't make sense at first glance, like most prophecies. So soothsayers try to disguise that in fact they don't predict anything." 

Jon shook his head resolutely. "No, Hermione. Prophecies make sense. They're just riddles, and to understand them you have to solve the riddle." 

"Riddles!" Ron put his mug down at the table with a thud, looking rather fed up. "Why can't seers simply say: Tomorrow at six thirty a storm will destroy your house. You'd better not be at home, or you'll be injured badly. It's clear and understandable and useful, unlike this rubbish." 

"It isn't rubbish, Ron. Mum wouldn't keep it if it were. Come to think of it, it could read as follows: the Darkness means the Dark Lord, and the Sun and the Flash in combination can rid us of him forever." 

"So this is saying: You-Know-Who'll be struck by lightning at a sunny day and that will kill him?" Catching a glimpse from Harry, Ron added quickly, "Voldemort, I wanted to say Voldemort." He suppressed a shudder, looking as if he wanted to say anything but Voldemort. 

Jon shook his head. "I don't think that you should take Sun and Flash literally. Like Darkness is a metaphor for the Dark Lord, they are most likely metaphors for someone else. The question is: Who?" 

Hermione, who had gazed at Harry, thinking hard, burst out, "I know it! I know who the Flash is!" 

Three pairs of eyes stared piercingly at her, when she continued, "That's pretty obvious, isn't it? The Flash is Harry! He's got a lightning shaped scar and he survived Voldemort's attempt to kill him." 

Jon nodded exited. "Yes, and look at the first line! This has already happened, Harry broke Voldemort's power! But not forever, because he's back." 

Ron looked unconvinced. "I don't know. Twelve years are a bit more than a short time." 

"Not if you compare it with eternity," Harry said, disagreeing with Ron. 

"Okay," Hermione spoke tentatively, "Let's assume that's indeed a prophecy and it'll come true. Then it's implying that Harry can defeat Voldemort if he unites with the Sun. Do we know anyone who could be described as sun?" 

For a while no one answered. Each of the four went through the list of people they knew, but no one seemed even remotely comparable with a sun. 

Jon finally asked, "Do we even know what qualifies someone as sun? Having a round face? A yellow face? A round scar? Or birthmark? Or being hot? And another question: according to the prophecy Voldemort has to kill him or her twice to win. How can someone be killed twice?" 

Hermione's brain was already working at the problem. "What about a ghost? A ghost would've died already and was still able to help Harry defeat the Dark Lord." 

"And how do you kill a ghost again? They're already dead," Harry objected. 

"Maybe an immortal?" Ron suggested. "An immortal wouldn't die and could be killed again. At least someone could try to do so - since immortals won't die the killing would never be more than an attempt." 

This idea was met with clear opposition by Hermione. Shaking her head, she said, "No, that doesn't fit. Firstly, do immortals even exist? And secondly, why should it be a problem to kill them a second time, if they survive anyway? Why shouldn't they be able to unite with Harry after the second murdering attempt?" 

Jon folded the parchment and put it back in his pocket. "I don't think we'll find an answer without knowing more. The note still belongs to Mum, and I'll give it back to her. I could ask her about the Sun then. Maybe she has an idea," he said, mentally adding the prophecy to the list of things he wanted to ask his mother about. 

"And what are the chances that she's willing to share that information with you?" Harry asked Jon, sounding a bit sulky. 

"We'll see," Jon answered, ignoring the hidden reproach in Harry's voice. 

For a while, everyone was silent, pondering about the prophecy. Harry, who noticed Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks entering the Three Broomsticks, finally broke the silence. 

"I wonder how Malfoy'd react if he knew that he's Jon's brother?" Harry quipped. 

"Perhaps we should just tell him. With a bit of luck the news about being related to a Potter will shock him so much that he drops dead on the spot," Ron suggested. 

"Could we PLEASE drop this subject and bury it so deep it never sees the daylight again?" Jon groaned. He had followed Harry's gaze and watched Malfoy approach their table, as usual accompanied by his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. 

"My, my! I'm surprised that you lot still waste your time with this bloke," Draco Malfoy said with a malicious tone in his voice. Gazing intently at Harry, he continued, "Particularly you, Potter. If I were you, I wouldn't speak a word to this cousin of yours, nor to his mother." Smirking, he folded his arms. 

"Shut up, Malfoy, and mind your own business," Harry snapped, glaring at Draco. 

Unimpressed, Draco carried on, "I bet, they haven't told you that she used to be a Death Eater, and that she helped to deliver your parents up to the Dark Lord!" 

Jon rose so abruptly from his seat that his chair fell over with a clattering sound. "That's not true!" he bellowed. 

"Oh, then you _did_ tell him?" Draco mocked him. 

"No, because there's nothing to tell. That's pure fabrication, and you'll take it back, right now!" Jon clenched his fist, looking as if he wanted to place it firmly on Draco's nose. 

Draco gave a short laugh. "Fabrication? Oh no. Father's known her for ages, and he told me a few interesting facts about your not-so-innocent mother. What do you think why she knows so much about Defence Against the Dark Arts? Because she's well-versed in the Dark Arts themselves." 

"Shut up!" Harry butted in. Being disgruntled about Serena's secretiveness was one thing, letting Draco Malfoy vilify his relative was a completely different matter. "If you can't prove any of your trumped up charges, shut up and sod off!" 

"You want proof? Have you ever looked at her left forearm? Father said that she bears a Dark Mark, the sign of the high-ranking Death Eaters!" 

"Oh, and of course he must know, having a Dark Mark himself!" Harry countered cynically. 

Draco gave another short laugh, but it sounded contrived as if it was supposed to disguise insecurity. "So what? Father was put under the Imperius Curse and forced to act as Death Eater. He has been acquitted on all charges. But she -" Draco cast a sideways glance at the professors' table, where Serena was sniffing suspiciously at a glass that Hagrid held under her nose, "she did everything of her own free will. If she hadn't fled the country, she'd have been sent to Azkaban!" 

Harry shook his head, disbelieving. "She's returned and no one's arrested her! She wouldn't be teaching at Hogwarts, if there was even an ounce of truth in your allegations!" 

"Right," Jon agreed with Harry. "And besides that, we absolutely don't care about what your father says. So spare us any more of it and get stuffed!" He looked at Draco with a strangely fixed, intimidating, Snape-like stare. Trying to restrain himself, Jon gripped the edge of the table so tight that his knuckles became white. 

Suddenly the smug smirk returned to Draco's face. "So, you don't care? I got the impression that you did, feeling so compelled to defend her. However, if you don't care, then I won't bother you with information about your father." He turned to leave, noticing with satisfaction Jon's failure to display indifference when Draco mentioned Jon's father. 

"Pah! As if you actually knew something," Jon said condescendingly, trying to bring Draco to spill his information without admitting that he wanted to hear it. Worried, Jon wondered if Snape's assumption might have been correct. Or why else would Lucius Malfoy, Draco's source of information, know about Jon's father? But then, would Malfoy really tell Draco if he was? Wouldn't it be more likely that he kept it a secret? 

However, Draco was obviously dying to spread the news. He rose instantly to the bait and blurted out with a triumphant gleam in his eyes, "Oh yes, I do. I know why she doesn't tell your father's name. Father said, she was whoring around with so many Death Eaters that she doesn't even know who finally scored and produced you." 

"Bullshit! I'll shut your filthy trap!" Displaying a nimbleness that was quite unexpected for such a lanky body, Jon leaped at Draco. The momentum knocked both of them down and Draco's head hit the floor. Not caring if this had resulted in an injury or not, Jon punched Draco full force in his face, pleased as he saw Draco's eyebrow beginning to bleed. Draco looked dizzy and didn't put up much resistance when Jon straddled him. He used his knees to pin Draco's arms down on the floor. Out of his mind with rage, Jon rained blow after blow on his helpless opponent. 

When Crabbe and Goyle reacted, attempting to come to Draco's assistance, they found themselves hindered by Harry and Ron who had seized them and held them back. Actually, Crabbe and Goyle were heavier and stronger than Harry and Ron and should have been able to shake them off. But the fact that these Gryffindors dared to wrestle with them surprised them both so much that they forgot their advantage in strength for a couple of seconds. 

* * *

Suddenly, Draco saw Professor Snape appear in his blurred vision and he felt the weight that had pinned him down being lifted off him. Using his sleeve, he tried to wipe something hot and sticky out of his left eye. He felt himself being hauled up and put back on his feet. A hand at his collar and another at his right arm held him firmly in place. Draco noticed that Snape had a hard time doing the same with Jon Potter. The Gryffindor was still fuming, not paying attention as to who restrained him. He struggled blindly to break free and to pounce on Draco again. 

"Stop it!" Draco heard the voice of Potter's mother bark behind him, causing Jon to freeze. For the next few seconds, he contented himself with glaring daggers at Draco. So it was her who was holding him, Draco realised. 

"If you have to fight, kindly do it outside!" she continued, earning a brief, strange glance from Snape. 

"You aren't supposed to fight at all!" Snape thundered, turning his gaze towards Jon. "Assault and battery on a fellow student, Mr. Potter, makes thirty points from Gryffindor and a detention." 

Draco heard the professor behind him growl under her breath. She obviously didn't agree with Snape, but couldn't do anything about it. Firstly, professors didn't argue in front of the students. And secondly, because Jon was her son, everything she would do would be regarded as favouritism. 

An idea made him inwardly smile. Professor Potter was smaller than Draco, and a woman too. She apparently believed Draco wouldn't cause trouble because he was a student and she was a professor. But she wasn't really a match for him, was she? He began to wriggle himself out of her grip, as if he wanted to get back on Jon. As he had expected, she let go of his collar and pressed her hand against his chest to get a better hold on him. In that moment Draco grabbed her sleeve and tugged at it with all his strength. 

With satisfaction, he noticed all the bystanders growing rigid with surprise. Horrified, they stared at Serena's uncovered forearm. A Dark Mark was clearly visible there. He knew it! Father would never lie to him! Draco stole a glance at Jon. From his expression it was clear the boy hadn't had the faintest idea. 

Serena let go of Draco and pulled hastily her sleeve down, hiding the Mark. Seeing the look on Jon's face, she made a step towards him and said apprehensively, "Jon, I can explain -" 

But Jon didn't listen. Abruptly he tore himself away from Snape who didn't even try to hold him back and stormed out of the pub. 

Serena flashed Draco a short glance, making him take a step back out of fear. She had seen through him, he thought. She knew that he had known about the Dark Mark and had exposed it deliberately. For a moment, he feared she would kill him now. 

But she didn't. She just stood there, rooted to the spot, unsure what to do. She looked at Harry, who averted his gaze from her. Disappointment and revulsion was written all over his face. Neither Ron nor Hermione dared to meet her gaze and looked, embarrassed, down at their feet. 

After what felt like an eternity, she told Snape, "Settle this here. I have to go." 

She turned, heading for the door. People hurriedly got out of her way and seemed incredibly relieved when she left the Three Broomsticks.


	11. A Death Eater Career

_(June 1977)_

When Serena nervously entered Dumbledore's office, there was a strange looking man sitting in front of the headmaster's desk. He seemed to emanate an aura of mystery and gloom that cast a shadow across the whole office. The man's face was covered with so many scars that she had difficulties discerning normal skin in between. Short, dark hair, a crooked nose, and dark, beady eyes that unrelentingly scrutinised her - it all appeared like facial components that somehow didn't quite fit together to form a whole. Suddenly, Serena had a queasy feeling as if he knew everything about her, as if he could learn all her secrets just by looking at her. 

Dumbledore commenced as soon as Serena had closed the door behind her. "Miss Potter, I would like to introduce Alastor Moody to you. He is an Auror and he is here to ask you a few questions." 

Auror? Serena was shaken. If the Ministry sent an Auror, it could only mean that they had found out about her being an illegal Animagus. The Auror was certainly here to take her to Azkaban! Trying to hide her anxiety, she cast a glance at Professor Dumbledore's face. His expression was a great deal sterner than usual, which seemed to confirm her worries. 

"Alastor, this is Serena Potter," the headmaster said to his guest. 

Despite the gloom that seemed to weigh heavy on Moody, his movement was swift and graceful as he rose from his seat and inclined his head. "Nice to meet you, Miss Potter," he said and extended his hand to her. 

Taking it, Serena saw that it bore a couple of scars as well and was missing a phalanx of it's little finger. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Moody," she replied diffidently. Was he always so friendly to people he was going to arrest? 

"Please sit down, Miss Potter. This may take a while." Professor Dumbledore motioned towards a second chair in front of his desk. "Tea?" 

Serena nodded numbly and sat down. While Dumbledore conjured a tray with a white china teapot, surrounded by three delicate china teacups and a plate with biscuits, Moody sat down again and began to speak. 

"The Ministry of Magic received your application for the Auror College a few months ago, Miss Potter. I'm here to talk to you about it." 

Oh, this was the reason for him being here! A great weight was suddenly lifted from Serena's mind. Feeling reassured she found the courage to meet Moody's penetrating stare while listening to him. Moody didn't waste any time with small talk and came straight down to the point. 

"I've studied your file, and I heard quite a bit about you from my old friend Albus Dumbledore. Mostly good things, but he also mentioned that you sometimes have problems following rules that don't suit your plans. Or rather you don't have scruples to not follow these rules." 

_'He did?'_ Serena wondered, trying to remember when she had been caught disregarding rules. Or did Dumbledore know about her secret studies, after all? 

"Anyway," Moody continued, "he also told me that you're very well able to distinguish between right and wrong. I think this is far more important than stupidly following rules to the letter. You're in Slytherin, correct?" 

Serena wanted to concur but Moody didn't stop to let her answer his rhetorical question. 

"This is somewhat unusual. A Slytherin who wants to become an Auror - that hasn't happened in a few years. Why do you want to do this?" 

Now that she was pretty sure she wouldn't spend the next night in Azkaban, Serena had regained her self-confidence. She answered with a steady voice, "Well, I think my brother James is to blame for it." A wry grin flitted over her face. "He told me about his plans to become an Auror and that everyone is needed to fight the Dark side - that you can't hope for someone else to do it for you. He got me thinking. And as you said, I think I know what's right and what's wrong. What Voldemort's doing is certainly wrong." 

When Serena said the name 'Voldemort' without hesitation, Moody looked at her with surprise, but also appreciation. Serena silently thanked her brother for his insistence on her calling Lord Voldemort by his name. At first she had felt rather uneasy, but after a while she had become used to saying his name, and she did it without much thought now. Pretending to not notice Moody's approving look, she continued, "It's high time for him to go. My magical skills aren't bad and I think I could contribute a good deal to overthrowing him, if you let me." 

"You are quite determined to do so, aren't you?" Moody nodded thoughtfully a few times, taking a sip of his tea. The small teacup nearly vanished in his large hands. Serena was almost expecting to hear a cracking sound that indicated that the cup had yielded to the immense pressure that such a hand was doubtless able to produce. 

"But there's one thing I don't understand," Moody continued, "Recently, I met your brother at the Ministry and I had a chat with him. He didn't seem to know about your application. On the contrary, he seemed rather miffed that you'd withstood his attempts to recruit you." 

Alarmed, Serena asked, "You didn't tell him about it, did you?" 

"No, I didn't. But why did you keep it from him? And, far more important, does anyone else know about your plans?" 

"I didn't tell anyone. It's dangerous for a Slytherin to have such ambitions. I thought I'd be much safer if I keep it a secret until I'm finished with school." 

The gloom around Moody seemed to diminish when his expression lightened up. "Oh, that's perfect! I hoped you'd say that. You should know, I don't normally do interviews. I'm an Auror and not the Ministry's staff manager. But you're a special case, being in Slytherin, having told no one about your application and being rather talented regarding your magical skills. It's true, the Ministry is in dire need of fresh Aurors. Thanks to your brother we're getting some. But what we need more, and don't find so easily, are spies. People who pretend to be Voldemort's followers and who keep us informed about his plans. Who collect incriminating evidence so that Death Eaters can be condemned after their capture. We have tried infiltrating a few Aurors into Voldemort's ranks, but sooner or later they've always been discovered. I suspect a couple of moles in the Ministry, but it's near impossible to identify them." 

He snorted in dismay. "Filthy little traitors, they've already ruined more than one attempt to sack Voldemort. Well, judging by what I've heard about you, I'd say you're just the right person for this job. If you'll do what many of your fellow Slytherins will do - join the Death Eaters - no one'll suspect you. No one in the Ministry'll know about you - I'll see to that - so they can't give you away." 

Moody cleared his throat. "To make a long story short, you'd be far more useful for us as spy than as an Auror. But the risk is greater as well. None of our spies who were revealed are still alive. It's a dangerous job, and you'd be risking your life every day." 

Professor Dumbledore, who had silently followed the conversation, chimed in, "For your own safety you could not tell anyone about it. Not your friends, not your family, no one - even if you think you can trust them with your life. They would all believe you were a true Death Eater, and some of them would doubtless hate you because of that. Only Moody and I would know the truth. Are you able to cope with this?" 

Serena scratched her forehead, trying to take in what she just heard. Of course she wanted to fight Voldemort's regime, but this spy job sounded rather dangerous. Would she be able to fulfil such a task? Moody and Dumbledore seemed to be convinced that she could. 

"You do not need to answer right now. Regardless of what you will decide, it will affect the rest of your life. So contemplate it thoroughly, and make sure that your final decision is what you really want. Be assured, no one will think ill of you if you should decline this offer," Dumbledore added good-naturedly. 

Moody rose from his seat, getting ready to leave. "So, I told you what I wanted to, now it's up to you to make a decision. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask -" 

"Actually, I have a question," Serena cut in, temporarily forgetting that it wasn't polite to interrupt someone's speech. The question had formed in her mind and occupied her thoughts so much that she needed an answer before she could concentrate on anything else. "You said that even the Ministry wouldn't know. But they have my application, so they know already, don't they?" 

"A few people know that you applied, yes. If you should decide to become a spy instead of a regular Auror, your application will be recorded as rejected." 

This answer didn't fully satisfy her. "Don't get me wrong, but isn't that a bit implausible for the Ministry to reject an application like mine? With all the good marks and so..." 

"No, not with such negative entries in your school records," Moody answered, straightening his cloak. "Oh, and I must ask you to not tell anyone about this conversation." 

"Yes, of course not... What negative entries do you mean?" Serena asked, bewildered. 

"Excuse me, Miss Potter," Moody said apologetically. "I really have to leave now. There's urgent business I have to attend to. But I'm sure that Professor Dumbledore'll answer all your questions. Good-bye!" 

"Good-bye," Serena replied, shaking Moody's scarred hand once again. He bade good-bye to Dumbledore too, and then he was gone, leaving her alone with the headmaster. 

Professor Dumbledore still wore the stern expression that she had already noticed at the beginning of the meeting. When he spoke, his voice was equally stern. 

"Miss Potter, there is something else that I need to talk to you about. I know that you frequently visit the Restricted Section of the library at night and study books about Dark Magic. I believe that you have only noble intentions in doing so. But nonetheless I cannot tolerate this. It is forbidden for students below their final year to read books from the Restricted Section without permission. Not to mention that no student is allowed to be outside of the dormitories at night. You must stop this immediately. Your Head of House will be informed and he will give you an appropriate punishment. I am also obligated to record an official reprimand for illegal studies of Dark Magic in your file. Of course I am aware that you start your seventh year soon, which enables you to enter the Restricted Section without asking for permission first. But I will rely on you to not misuse this privilege and to refrain from any more extracurricular studies there. And should you be caught again roaming the castle at night, your immediate expulsion from Hogwarts will be the consequence. Is this understood?" 

Serena nodded, unable to answer with the lump that had built in her throat. 

* * *

On her way back Serena mulled over Moody's offer. This was her chance to do something special and important, something that not everyone could do. Not being able to let anyone in on her true purposes would certainly be hard, but it would only be temporary, only until the war was over. Moody would do everything in his power to protect her from being betrayed by moles, so if she didn't give herself away, the danger should be reasonably small. She was confident that she could maintain silence; she had already successfully kept other secrets. 

Passing the Entrance Hall, Serena decided to get herself some pumpkin juice to get rid of the lump that still obstructed her throat. Fortunately, breakfast time wasn't over yet. Entering the Great Hall, she noticed Severus being deep in conversation with Lucius Malfoy. 

Briefly wondering what they could possibly talk about, she approached them. This was just too good an opportunity to miss it. It was an open secret that Malfoy, who finished his schooling this year, would join the Dark forces soon. If she could convince him of her wish to become a Death Eater, he could probably help her to do so. Pulling a defiant face, she sat down next to Severus, intent on working on her bad reputation. 

Both of them fell silent upon seeing her. Noticing her expression, Severus enquired with a worried glance about the outcome of her summons to the headmaster. 

"You were right," Serena said with an angry frown, "Dumbledore knows that I had the missing book from the Restricted Section." 

"That was you?" Malfoy asked surprised. 

Serena nodded. "I received a reprimand for illegal studies of Dark Magic. It's even being logged in my school records. And Dumbledore threatened me with expulsion from Hogwarts if I do anything wrong again." 

Malfoy regarded her with an astounded look, asking what exactly she had done. Serena told him about her nightly visits in the library and the Dark Curses that she had learned, deliberately leaving out her motives to do so. Severus unwittingly supported her plan and filled Malfoy in about their duelling sessions. 

Cautiously, Serena hinted that she wasn't the exemplary student that most people considered her to be. This was only a disguise, she alleged, to keep herself out of trouble. It was her bad luck that Dumbledore had finally seen through it. 

When she finished, Malfoy showed an insinuating grin and said, "I knew it! It's always the seemingly innocent who are the slyest ones." He hesitated a moment, scrutinising Serena. At length he said to Severus, "You can bring her along, if you like." With these words he got up and left. 

"Bring me along? Where?" Serena asked curiously. "What have you two talked about?" 

"There's a gathering in Hogsmeade, next weekend. He wants to talk to us about our future. He didn't say it directly, but that's a meeting for Death Eater aspirants, if you ask me." 

In the course of her next and last school year, several of these meetings followed. Lucius Malfoy, already admitted into the ranks of Voldemort's followers, prepared Severus, Serena, and a couple of her classmates to become Death Eaters too. Serena feigned enough enthusiasm and Muggle-hate to convince her fellows of her low cast of mind. On a sunny summer day, one month after finishing Hogwarts, she found an owl in the front garden that doggedly refused to hand its letter to anyone than Serena. It was an invitation to an initiation ceremony to join the ever growing group of the Dark Lord's supporters. 

* * *

After his father's death, Severus lived alone in the small, old brick house that he had inherited. Gulping down a potion that he had just finished brewing, he sat down on a threadbare sofa in front of the fireplace. He was about to lie down and wait for the potion to do its work, when he heard knocking on his front door. 

The noise resounded like hammering in his already aching head. Groaning, he got up and peered through the door's spy hole. Serena was standing outside, looking rather forlorn. It had been raining cats and dogs since morning. The water poured down on her, unnoticed, and increased the impression that she was anything but happy at the moment. 

Quickly Severus opened and motioned her inside. He took her dripping cloak and hung it up near the fireplace, not quite feeling like using magic to dry it. Gesturing to her to sit down, he asked concerned, "Serena, what's with you? You look like the paradigm of misery. Don't tell me you've got a hangover too. I couldn't stand the thought of turning my head into an aching vegetable for nothing!" 

The evening before, a small group of young people, including Serena and Severus, had been initiated into the ranks of Voldemort's followers. Afterwards, Lucius Malfoy had given a party at the Old Hag, a pub in Knockturn Alley, for those whom he had recruited. They had spent the better part of the night in revelry, with beer, wine, and stronger drinks flowing freely. 

Serena's petite body couldn't take in much alcohol. For fear of getting completely drunk and doing something extremely stupid she had clandestinely exchanged her and Severus' glasses with each other after he had emptied his one. This should keep her more or less sober, without anyone noticing, save Severus, who already knew Serena's incredibly low tolerance level for spirits of any kind. He, on the contrary, had a strong head for alcohol. So he had only arched an eyebrow, amused at her guilty look, before he had yielded to her silent plea and had taken the majority of her drinks. But drinking twice as much and twice as fast as the others was too much even for him and now he was impatiently waiting for the potion to free him of his headache. 

Serena shook despondently her head, slumping down on the sofa. "No, but I'd love to swap places with you." 

Sitting down next to her, Severus tried another guess. "Trouble with your people because of last night?" 

Nodding, Serena muttered, "Trouble's an understatement. Jim told my parents everything. They became terribly enraged, and after a lot of yelling they told me that they don't have room for a Dark Witch in their house." 

The party had lasted until the barkeeper had closed the pub. Most of them had then decided to use the public Floo station at Diagon Alley to get home instead of trying to Apparate in a state of inebriation. 

Unfortunately, James and his friends, who had organised a bachelor party for Frank Longbottom at the Leaky Cauldron at the very same evening, had hit on the same idea. Heading for the Floo, both groups had met right there. 

It didn't take long before someone slipped the reason for Malfoy's party during the scornful quarrelling and mutual denigrating. After recovering from the shock that his sister was now supporting the enemy, James had jumped on Severus' throat, blaming him for being a bad influence on her. She had tried to part the quarrellers, but with little success. Instead, those present had taken it as a signal to pounce on each other as well. 

When Aurors had arrived at the scene to put an end to the commotion, a violent fight had been underway. Fortunately most of the partakers were too drunk to mutter coherent incantations and perform curses that could cause serious harm. One night in the dry-out cell sufficed to calm most of them down, but not James. 

And after hearing the news about Serena, her parents became cross with her as well. 

"After a while they'll quiet down again," Severus tried to reassure her. "They're your family, after all." 

"No, not any more," Serena answered, snivelling. "They didn't only throw me out. They disinherited and disowned me. They said, I'm no longer their daughter, and they meant it - I could see it in their eyes. They -" A heavy sob that she couldn't suppress prevented her from carrying on speaking. As if a dam had broken, she started weeping uncontrollably. 

Severus awkwardly put his arm around Serena's shoulders, allowing her to bury her face in his chest and soak his robe with her tears. 

"They - they hate me - and never - never want to see me again," she faltered out, frequently interrupting her words with sobs. Holding her gently, Severus waited for Serena to finish her crying. 

When she started to wipe her eyes with his robe, Severus silently handed her his handkerchief. Grateful, she took it and blew her nose. 

After she had regained some of her composure, Serena looked up at Severus. Apprehensive, she bit her lower lip before she spoke, "Sev, since I'm turned out of my parent's house, erm - I don't know where to go. I was hoping - would you - could I stay here? Only one or two nights, until I've found something else? Please?" 

"Of course, stay as long as you like. You can have father's room. I was wondering what to make of it anyway, so why not a guest room?" 

"Oh thank you!" Serena sniffled, tears threatening to overwhelm her again. Sighing, she said, "You're the best friend one can wish for! I don't know what I'd do without you." 

Severus wasn't sure what to answer to this and stayed silent, contenting himself with hugging her tightly. 

* * *

Not feeling like looking for a job to cover her true job, Serena helped Severus with his work as much as she could. Severus had resumed his father's work and did what he could do best - brew potions and supply the local apothecary with them. But the apothecary was merely an excuse to be busy with Potion making. Lord Voldemort demanded not only complicated and mostly illegal potions from Severus, but in amounts far greater than the apothecary did. Brewing them kept Severus pretty busy. 

Of course, Serena stayed away from the cauldrons to avoid causing any catastrophes. But she helped to prepare the ingredients for Severus, as she had done at Hogwarts. She had also taken over the task of obtaining the needed ingredients and delivering the finished potions to their respective recipients. 

She had briefly considered sabotaging the potions that were meant for Lord Voldemort, but she had thought better of it. If the potions failed in their effects, Voldemort would simply punish Severus and look for another Potions Master. This would harm Severus, not Voldemort, and she didn't want to have Severus suffer, even if he was working for the Dark Lord. 

Time passed, days became weeks, and Serena's temporary accommodation in Severus' house changed imperceptibly into a permanent one. She felt comfortable around him and Severus didn't seem to be dead keen on getting rid of her either. 

To salve her guilty conscience about living in Severus' house without paying rent, she studied books about keeping a house in order. She learned how to exchange mouldy wooden beams, close leaks in the plumbing, tile a bathroom, or replace the worn carpeting. When she wasn't busy helping Severus or spying on the Death Eaters, she transformed the house step by step from a rambling old wreck into a decent home. 

Being a spy proved to be harder than she had imagined at first. She had to be persistently on her guard in order to not give herself away. The constant peril of being discovered was straining, but not as much as her loneliness. Her family acted as if she had never existed. People she had got on well with didn't speak to her anymore. But searching for new friends among Death Eaters wasn't an option at all. 

Only Narcissa remained her friend, but they didn't meet quite as often as before. After marrying Lucius Malfoy, she had moved in to Malfoy Manor. Serena hated this creepy place and stayed away from it if she could help it. Therefore, contact with Narcissa was limited to Floo calls and occasional meetings in Knockturn Alley. 

Serena still considered Severus her closest friend, but even he could never be a real confidant. He supported Lord Voldemort, after all, convinced about the rightness of his choice. She'd rather not learn how Severus would react if he found out the truth about her. 

Alastor Moody, who knew where her true loyalties lay, just wasn't the kind of person to have a cry on their shoulder. Besides, Serena didn't want him to deem her weak and so she kept her sorrows to herself. 

About two months after the initiation ceremony, Serena realised with a bang how dangerous her work actually was and what it meant to fight in a war. It wasn't heroic or noble. Sometimes it was necessary to fall back on dirty, disgusting, and detestable devices to survive, and Moody didn't hesitate to hammer this lesson into her head. 

She was meeting him on a sunny late summer afternoon and telling him the latest plans and rumours when Moody suddenly leapt up from his seat and shouted " _Stupefy_!" 

A red flash darted into a nearby bush, and a thudding sound indicated that something had collapsed behind it. They went to investigate and found an unconscious Death Eater who had apparently followed Serena without her noticing him. 

"What have I told you," Moody admonished her, summoning the Death Eater's wand, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE! That's crucial! You're very fortunate that he's decided to watch us instead of returning to his fellows and telling them about his discovery. Your life wouldn't be worth a bean otherwise!" 

Serena nodded meekly, still recovering from the fright that Moody had given her. Most of the time he behaved like a grouchy, paranoid man, grumbling about filthy Death Eater rabble, but not like a man to be overly scared of. The moment he had leapt up, however, she had suddenly seen another Moody, one she hadn't known until then. This had been the Moody who was the best Auror the Ministry ever had, determined, powerful, and highly dangerous to his enemies. This was the Moody whom Death Eaters talked about with dread in their eyes. In that moment, she had been extremely glad that she was on the same side as him. 

Moody scrutinised the unconscious form, asking Serena, "Do you know that scumbag?" 

She looked at the Death Eater. It was a young man with lots of red hair and she had the impression that she knew that red mat. He lay on his stomach, and in order to see more of his face, Serena seized his shoulder, intending to turn him around. This proved to be her second grave mistake today. He had only pretended to be unconscious, and quick as lightning he leaped up, taking Serena hostage by surprise. A swift grab into her left sleeve deprived her of her wand, rendering her defenceless. 

"Give up, boy, you have no chance," Moody called upon the Death Eater, aiming his wand at him. 

"If you try anything, Auror, she'll die with me!" the young man answered back, barely hiding his anxiety. He used Serena as a shield, as far as that was possible behind her small figure. He quickly mumbled a few words and a sharp blade protruded from the tip of Serena's wand. Pressing it against her throat, and holding her chin with his other hand, he shouted, "No matter what kind of magic you plan to use against me, the time you'll need to say the incantation is enough for me to cut her throat or break her neck, possibly both." 

"Would you wager your life on it?" Moody asked threateningly, piercing his opponent's skull with his eyes. 

The pressure on Serena's throat increased slightly. "Would _you_ wager _her_ life on it?" the man replied. 

Serena stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move or even breathe. She had messed up royally! She hadn't even held out two months without getting herself into serious trouble. Her life, which had been way too short for her liking, flashed by in front of her eyes. It ended with a dreadful picture of herself, throat cut, lying in a puddle of her own blood. Eyes wide, she stared desperately at Moody, trying to find a sign in his expression that not all was lost. In that moment a white flash from Moody's wand whizzed past her right ear and hit the Death Eater full in his face. In an instant, he let go of Serena and buckled under his own weight. 

"Any time," Moody grimly answered the counter-question. 

Now utterly frightened out of her wits, Serena jumped aside, shaking violently. 

Ignoring her state, Moody commanded, "Watch, and learn!" He kicked away the wand-knife and knelt down next to the Death Eater, all the time his wand trained to the man's chest. After checking his pulse and watchfully searching his clothes for hidden weapons, Moody turned, facing Serena. "Never," he lectured her, "Never approach a seemingly defeated enemy without your wand drawn and all due care. Never rely on his harmlessness before you've verified it yourself." 

"Yes, I'll remember that," Serena said, feeling extremely stupid for being so careless. "I'm sorry." 

Moody's expression softened. "You need some training, that's all. The next times we'll meet, I'll teach you some of the things that your mates learn during their Auror education. Things like fighting without a wand, preventing others from taking your wand in the first place, and such. And to keep your mind steady and not panic in a critical situation. Things that could save your life if I don't happen to be there for your rescue." 

Hesitantly, Serena asked, "How exactly did you save me? I didn't hear any incantation. You didn't even move your mouth." 

"That's probably the secret of my success. I'm pretty good at doing magic with only thinking the spell's incantation instead of reciting it aloud. It never fails to surprise that ruddy pack." He smiled grimly. Seeing Serena's face, which was still as white as a sheet, he asked, "Are you all right?" 

She nodded tentatively. The trembling had diminished and a stroke across her throat revealed no injury to it, a fact that she noted with great relief. 

"I'm not hurt. But he knows my secret," she replied. "What can we do to prevent him from telling someone? Can you send him to Azkaban?" 

"No. I doubt that there's anything that we can charge him with and prove it. Unfortunately, those petty officials at the Ministry are still refusing to declare the mere bearing of the Dark Mark a crime. Besides that, I doubt that the Dementors are interested in a corpse." 

Serena's jaw dropped when she tried to decide if she had understood him correctly or not. "A corpse? You mean, he - he's dead?" 

Apparently she had, and Moody confirmed it. "Yes, he is. This is another lesson that you must learn. Do whatever's necessary to survive. If that means to take a Death Eater's life, you mustn't hesitate in doing so. They wouldn't either." 

"But did you have to kill him? Wouldn't it have sufficed to stun him?" 

Moody shook his head. "I needed to make sure that he wouldn't be able to react in any way. The Myasthenia Gravis Curse relaxes all muscles in the body immediately. So he couldn't use this knife nor otherwise harm you. Since it affects every muscle, it also prevented his heart and his respiration from working. Bad luck for him. But the good thing is that he can't give you away now." 

Serena cast another glance at the limp body. She knew him. Moody's mention of the Dark Mark had reminded her where she had seen him. It had been just a week ago, when she had delivered a batch of potions that Severus had brewed for Lord Voldemort. Proudly, he had shown her his left forearm with a brand-new Dark Mark burned into it. He was still young, not much older than herself. Necessary or not, deserved or not, he had been a living human being who was dead now! Dead, only because of her foolishness! 

That night, Serena couldn't sleep well. Tossing and turning, she relived the incident in her dreams. She felt the blade press at her throat, saw the white flash hit the Death Eater, and even saw him collapse, though in reality this had happened behind her back. When she looked at him, it wasn't the redhead from this afternoon, it was Severus. Gasping in shock, she watched him opening his dead eyes and gazing at her, full of reproach. 

_"Traitor!"_ he scolded. _"Will you kill me too if I should stumble over the truth about you? I won't let you!"_ He drew his wand and a blinding green light ousted everything else. 

Serena awoke with a start, hearing the remnants of her own scream linger in her ears. She was bathed in cold sweat and her heart pounded wildly. The violent shaking from the afternoon was back. After leaving Moody, her brain had been in a state of shock - only performing vital tasks but avoiding any thoughts about the afternoon's experience. Fast asleep, however, Serena hadn't been able to prevent her mind from revolving around this scary experience, and now the result of it sunk into her conscious. She could die! Not in the sense of an abstract, hypothetical concept, no, in reality! 

Young people had a tendency to regard themselves as immortal, and Serena wasn't an exception. Most people didn't change this way of thinking until they had more to look back at than to look forward to. But having a blade pressed against one's throat did a good job as an eye-opener. Serena suddenly realised that her life could be over at each moment - more so if she didn't increase her wariness and didn't get accustomed to the idea of killing others for self-defence. 

Together with the realisation, nausea overwhelmed her. She barely made it to the bathroom, where she sank down on her knees and, clutching at the porcelain bowl, began to throw up violently. 

* * *

Disregarding Serena's desire to curl up in her bed and never again face anyone, the world continued to turn and life went on. More out of necessity than determination, Serena continued her spying. From now on she checked twice if she was alone before she met Moody and the incident didn't repeat itself. When she was with him, they spent the better part of their meetings with lessons that should increase her chances of survival if it came to the worst and decrease the chances to have that happen at all. 

Another thing that she learned was that when in Rome, you had to do as the Romans do. In her case, it meant that she had to take part in Dark Wizards' activities, pretending to be a Dark Witch herself, and thoroughly hide that she utterly detested it. So far, she could avoid doing serious harm to other people, but she didn't doubt that sooner or later the moment would come when someone would demand of her to kill someone. 

Unfortunately, she had no idea what to do then. She had already had nightmares about the demise of a Death Eater. How should she cope with killing people on Voldemort's instructions? Like people whose only fault was to not have pure wizard blood? Should she really kill innocent people to preserve her position as spy? Staying able to warn about attacks on other families was important, staying able to thwart Voldemort's plans even more. But did it justify a murder? Or two? Or how many? 

For lack of a better idea, she worked hard on her fighting skills and also learned new charms and hexes from Moody, hoping to come across something that would give her a clue how to save both, the victim and her cover. 

Her ability to transform into a lynx turned out to be rather convenient for her spying. The meetings of the high-ranking Death Eaters, the so-called Inner Circle, took place in Voldemort's castle, out of bounds to Serena. Even as lynx she couldn't sneak in. But these Death Eaters met with their subordinates later to pass on news and orders. They had a particular liking for graveyards and clearings at night as meeting places. If she wasn't supposed to be there, it was fairly easy to hide behind tombstones or in the undergrowth. Her extremely acute hearing as a lynx did the rest. 

Owing to the information that Serena delivered, the Ministry was able to increase the effectiveness of its work considerably. During the following months a lot of Voldemort's operations were thwarted. The Dark Lord lost a great number of his highest Death Eaters in battles with Aurors. Of course, Lord Voldemort wasn't stupid and suspected a mole in his ranks, but he wasn't able to find the culprit. In an attempt to stop the flow of secret information to the Ministry, Voldemort killed everyone who acted slightly suspiciously. But this action hit mostly loyal Death Eaters; true infiltrators avoided acting suspiciously at any cost. 

Today was a special day for Serena, Severus, and Lucius Malfoy. Lord Voldemort had been satisfied with their work and they had gained his goodwill. As a reward, they would receive the Dark Mark, the sign of Voldemort's high-ranking supporters. Voldemort used to elevate only close supporters into the rank of a Death Eater - wizards who had served his cause well for years. But after the recent developments, he couldn't afford to be so choosy anymore. He had replenished the Inner Circle with young, fresh blood already a few times in the last weeks. 

Moody had been thrilled when Serena had told him about it. Now, there would be an informant at the summit meetings. Serena would be able to gain information more valuable than ever before. 

The ceremony would take place in Voldemort's headquarters, and a dissolute feast, a good method to keep his followers happy, followed usually such events. The Dark Lord regarded bestowing the Dark Mark on his followers as an important and formal event, which meant that Serena was required to wear dress robes. 

Serena didn't set great store on having an exquisite wardrobe and didn't consider any of it suitable for the occasion. Narcissa had suggested solving this problem by going shopping, but without having a real job, Serena was permanently short of money. 

"Do you think, my bridesmaid dress from your wedding would do?" she had finally asked Narcissa. Serena liked the elegant dress a lot - she was all for the simple cut and the lack of laces, frills, or glittering knick-knacks. Never before she had touched a fabric that was so soft and light. It clung to her body, accentuating her dainty figure, and almost felt as if there wasn't any fabric at all. Narcissa had probably paid a small fortune for it. 

"Merlin, no! It's pink! You don't want to be the pink Death Eater!" Narcissa had objected and laughed. Seeing Serena's disappointed face, she relented, "But it's a start. With a few changes, we can certainly make it the perfect dress for the occasion!" 

Lacking a better alternative, Serena had agreed and arrived at Malfoy Manor two hours before the ceremony, hoping that Narcissa's impeccable taste would help getting her outfit for the evening right. 

"Okay, let's do something about the colour," Narcissa said and flicked her wand. The pink colour changed into a dark emerald green. 

Sceptically, Serena contemplated the new look of the dress. "Slytherin green? Really?" 

Narcissa bit on her lower lip, looking thoughtful. "You're right, that's not your colour." Suddenly her face lit up. "Now I know!" 

Again, she flicked her wand, and the dress changed into a deep violet, that downwards slowly faded to black. "Yes, that's perfect!" 

After putting on the dress, Serena had to admit that it looked great indeed. A house-elf brought a big basket full of make-up utensils, and Serena watched Narcissa using them generously on her face. 

Suddenly, Narcissa blurted out, "Severus' eyes will pop out of his head when he sees you." 

Serena frowned, scrutinizing her image in the mirror of Narcissa's dressing table. "Probably he won't even recognise me under all that paint." 

"That's your fault alone!" Narcissa chided her. "If you'd wear make-up more often and did something about your hair beyond that boring ponytail, he'd have realised that you're a woman ages ago." 

"The ponytail is convenient. And what exactly is your comment about Sev supposed to mean?" 

"Oh, come on, Serena, don't act stupid. You two are the perfect match for each other. When I found out in sixth year at Hogwarts that you have a thing for Severus, I was overjoyed. I thought you wouldn't uphold your Sev-and-I-are-only-friends-and-I'll-keep-it-that-way-attitude for long. Unfortunately, I was wrong." 

Serena pulled a surly face. "Please, Cissy, you promised to let that topic rest in peace. The _thing_ for Sev, as you called it, was only a teeny rapture. I've overcome that long since. Actually, Sev _is_ my best friend." 

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Yes, I noticed. And don't pull a face while I'm applying your make-up! When you moved in with him, however, I hoped things would change. But again, nothing." 

"I didn't _move in_ with Sev," Serena insisted, trying to keep her face straight. "I'm only temporarily using his guest room, until I've found something else." 

"Oh sure! One year isn't temporary, dear. And now don't move." Narcissa took her wand and muttered a spell that made the make-up stick, only removable with a counter spell. 

"It's hard to find something if you don't have a job to pay the rent. But I haven't given up yet." 

With a resigning gesture, Narcissa threw her hands into the air. "Why are you so reluctant about this idea, for crying out loud? Are you still afraid he would reject you? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't." 

"And what makes you think so?" 

"Let's say, female intuition." Narcissa cast a critical look at Serena and shook her head. "Your hair won't go that way. It should be pinned up." Tentatively, Narcissa took Serena's hair and held it up. 

"If you had anything like female intuition, you'd never have married that berk. By the way, I think this dress is already showing enough of my shoulders." 

"Exactly, it'd be pointless to hide this under your hair. And I'll pretend not to have heard that remark about my husband." Narcissa held out her hand and the house-elf hastily handed her a jar of hairpins. She skilfully twisted strands of Serena's hair and pinned them to the back of her head. Occasionally, and not quite accidentally, she poked Serena with the pins. From time to time, she wove thin silver strings between the curls. 

"What if Severus does indeed have feelings for you? Do you want to ask yourself forever what could have been?" 

Serena didn't answer. Doubtless she was going to ask herself exactly this question for the rest of her life. But when she had accepted Moody's offer to spy on Death Eaters, she had irrevocably shut the door to this possibility. Of course, Narcissa didn't know this, and hopefully never would. 

Chuckling, Narcissa added as an afterthought, "You should really try him. Even if you're not the woman of his dreams, Severus certainly wouldn't object to a nice little shag. He's a man, after all. And you aren't ugly, quite the contrary. I've managed to make you look like a Greek goddess!" Pleased with herself, Narcissa inspected the result of her work. 

"Greek goddess!" Serena snorted. "If I'd look up the word 'exaggeration' in a dictionary I wouldn't be surprised to find a picture of you." She met Narcissa's gaze in the mirror, mockingly arching an eyebrow. "A nice little shag, huh? Since your marriage you've developed quite a dirty mind, my dear Cissy. I'm shocked!" 

Both laughed while Narcissa transfigured Serena's pink pumps. She increased the height of the heels by another inch, which was met with an eye roll from Serena. After applying a colour changing charm they perfectly matched the violet tone of Serena's dress. 

A short knock came from the door, and without so much as waiting for an answer, the door opened and Lucius Malfoy strode in. He wore an extremely expensive looking, black velvet robe, and a matching velvet ribbon held his blonde hair together in his nape. "It's time to leave," he said, casting a cool glance at Serena. "Are you finished tarting up?" 

"Why, and I thought pansies were the only ones that could tell tarting up from dressing up," Serena snapped back, earning a bloodcurdling look from him. 

Before he could give an answer, however, Narcissa yelled, "Stop it! You're not going to squabble in my presence! I can't stand you behaving like cat and dog!" 

Lucius' expression softened almost instantly and he encircled Narcissa's waist. "You are right, my beauty. We shouldn't upset you, not in your state." He petted the clearly visible bulge at Narcissa's belly and kissed her good-bye. Without any other word or look at Serena, he left the room. 

A frustrated sigh escaped Narcissa's throat. "I wish you two got along better," she said to Serena. "But since that isn't going to happen, I wish you at least fun at the feast. And have a drink in my name, it's still four months until I can have my favourite liquor again." 

"Okay," Serena agreed, smiling at the mother-to-be. "I hate to break this to you, but when you're breast-feeding you shouldn't drink alcohol either." 

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Thanks for reminding me," she said sarcastically. "Off you go, before you ruin my mood completely." 

* * *

When Serena left Malfoy Manor, Lucius Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. As soon as she stepped through the iron gates marking the manor's boundary, Serena Apparated to a dark corner in Knockturn Alley where three Death Eaters would wait for her, Severus, and Malfoy in order to take them to Lord Voldemort's headquarters. When she arrived, only one Death Eater was still there, which meant that Severus and Malfoy had already been there and gone on. Without saying a word, the Death Eater took her arm and they Disapparated as well. 

She felt a bit dizzy when they arrived at their destination. Apparating by herself was one thing; she could control everything, knew exactly when she vanished and reappeared. However, being Apparated by someone else was a completely different matter and far more unpleasant. The moment that it started was always a little unnerving, and, to add to the discomfort, Apparating additional mass was also more difficult and therefore a rougher ride. 

Serena took a moment to take in the view. She stood on a tall cliff, with the sea deep down below her. High waves broke foaming at the rocks. The salty tasting air was filled with vapour and the scent of seaweed. It was hot, even for an August day, and despite the setting sun the temperatures didn't show any inclination of dropping yet. At least a bit of refreshment came from the maritime breeze that blew also her dizziness away. 

Malfoy, who must have had arrived only seconds ago, had obviously not waited for her and already walked into the castle behind her. Serena had to admit that Voldemort's choice for headquarters couldn't have been better. He resided in a sturdy castle, which was located on an island that wasn't marked on any Muggle atlas nor magical map. Save Lord Voldemort himself, no one knew where exactly this island was. A magical shield protected the place. It hid the island from prying, unauthorised eyes, showing them only the ocean. Approaching ships were unobtrusively steered around it, which reduced the chances of an accidental discovery of the island to practically nil. To get here intentionally was nearly impossible too. The barrier didn't let anyone pass who didn't have a Dark Mark, no matter if they simply tried to walk through it, used Portkeys, or Apparated. The only way of access for someone who wasn't a Death Eater, like Serena, was being Apparated here by someone already marked by Voldemort. 

While her eyes strayed to the horizon, Serena heard a voice calling behind her back, "There you are, finally! I was worrying that you'd come late to your own promotion." Severus stood at the drawbridge and shook his head. "Why is it that women always need ages to dress? I needed only five minutes to get ready." 

"Women may need longer, but the result looks a great deal better," Serena replied with a grin and turned around to face him. 

Severus' jaw dropped at her unusual appearance. "Who are you, beautiful woman? And where did you leave Serena?" he teased. 

Together, they crossed the drawbridge and Serena noticed Severus repeatedly glancing at her from the corners of his eyes. Couldn't he take in that she was dressed like a woman for a change? Entering the castle's quadrangle, she caught sight of a good number of eyes that lay appreciatively on her. Narcissa had an excellent knack for making people look special. If wearing a dress instead of simple robes and doing one's hair really made such a big difference, she should perhaps do it more often, she thought. 

The great Assembly Hall, where they would receive the Dark Mark, was already half filled with Death Eaters who were waiting for Voldemort. He hadn't shown up yet and wouldn't do so until the ceremony begun. Serena spotted Malfoy who had already taken his place at the opposite end of the table. Two seats beside him were still free, reserved for Severus and herself. 

Following Severus into the hall, Serena became aware of her shaking hands. Regardless how often she had tried to convince herself that it was only a magical tattoo that she got today, that it helped her work immensely and didn't mean anything for her, she still felt her nervousness grow with every minute. It was Voldemort's sign, and it would probably blemish her arm forever. 

_'Get a grip on yourself!'_ she admonished herself silently and clenched her hands into fists. 

The stupidest thing to do would be to let her nerves get the best of her, and run when Lord Voldemort was about to apply the Dark Mark. 

Serena took a deep breath, sat down and tried to distract herself by studying the interior. They had come in through a black double portal that connected the Assembly Hall with the quadrangle. The large windows at both sides didn't let in much light. Black curtains, each covered with a big picture of a green skull with a snake as tongue, prevented the sunlight from coming in. Torches at the walls and a chandelier that hung from the ceiling tried to make up for the lack of light, but the strangely green glowing flames only increased the gloomy atmosphere. 

Below the windows, the walls were lined with elaborate tapestries, interspersed with suits of armour every now and then. 

A large oak table dominated the hall. It was almost as long as the whole room and numerous chairs surrounded it. Almost all events that Lord Voldemort attended at took place here. The summit meetings that had been out of bounds for Serena so far were held at this table as well. 

It was easy to tell which one was the Dark Lord's seat, because it was bigger and showier than the rest of the chairs. Elaborately carven, silvery snakes with ruby eyes decorated the edges of the velvet padded back and armrests. The throne-like, raised seat occupied the head end of the table opposite to the doors. It allowed Lord Voldemort a good view over everything that was going on in the hall. 

Dozens of Death Eaters had gathered to watch the ceremony. When the hall had filled up and the time to begin had come, the Dark Lord appeared on his throne. The noise of countless chattering voices broke off in an instant and all faces turned towards their master. 

Lord Voldemort spoke in a low but distinct voice that easily made the listeners shiver. "Welcome, Death Eaters. Again you have assembled to witness me according a great honour to three of my faithful followers. They have proven themselves and their loyalty to me on many occasions. Using their courage, skills, and astuteness, they have served me well since they have joined our forces. You all know, I am not only a demanding master. No, I also reward those who deserve it. Lucius, Severus, and Serena earned themselves a place in the circle of my strongest supporters and will be awarded with the Dark Mark tonight." 

At the mention of their names, the three young people rose from their seats and approached Voldemort's throne with slow, measured steps. 

Serena felt her heart rate increase. This was the moment she had looked forward to and dreaded at once. The Dark Mark would brand her as a Dark Witch, a servant of the Dark Lord, a criminal. But she needed to endure it, to be able to be the exact opposite. Already in a few weeks another group of his supporters would be bestowed with the Dark Mark. And if she kept up her work successfully, there would be a constant need for replacements of members of the Inner Circle. 

Surreptitiously, Serena wiped her sweaty hands on her dress and cast a short glance sideways. Malfoy was almost bursting with pride. It had always been his dream to become Voldemort's right hand man someday and this was a big step towards this aim. Even in Severus' usually stony face a trace of anticipation was discernible. Wondering what her face expressed, Serena hoped that it wouldn't show her inner turmoil, wouldn't read like the expression of a lamb that was led to the slaughter. She had to look as if she was proud, as if she felt honoured and delighted about getting the Mark. Her parents came to her mind. Fortunately they couldn't see her now, kneeling in front of and bowing to the man that her family regarded as the epitome of evil. 

"Expose your left arm!" 

Startled, Serena noticed that the Dark Lord had stepped in front of her. Malfoy and Severus had received their Mark already and were watching her now. Quickly, she rolled up the left sleeve of her dress and stretched her arm out. 

Voldemort touched it with his wand and uttered, " _Morsmordre bracchium_!" 

Green flames licked over her forearm, burning the image of a skull into her skin. Serena gritted her teeth, striving to keep a straight face. Showing the pain that the flames were causing would be considered as a sign of weakness and disgrace. After a few seconds the burning receded and left only a dull throbbing, which would be gone by tomorrow if she could believe the hearsay. 

Voldemort motioned her to get to her feet again and placed a black hooded cape over her shoulders. After handing over a white mask with snake-like eye slits to her, he sat down on his throne again. This was her Death Eater uniform, which she was to always wear from now on when out on a mission for the Dark Lord. 

Thunderous applause filled the hall. After a few more words the Dark Lord vanished as abruptly as he had appeared earlier. With his disappearance the ceremony was finished and the feast could begin. Food and drink suddenly covered the table and the Death Eaters didn't hesitate to help themselves. 

Serena considered briefly the possibility of foisting her drinks on Severus again. But this time she and Severus were the centre of attention, together with Malfoy. Most likely someone would notice it sooner or later. So she had no other choice than to grasp the nettle and hope for the best. 

A seemingly never ending stream of wizards and witches came to congratulate and drink to them. Though she never completely emptied her cup, it didn't take too long before the wine began to show its effect. The hall began to spin around Serena. The voices of all the people melted into a monotonous, distant mumbling that she couldn't distinguish anymore. She needed a break from drinking and some fresh air. 

Carefully, Serena rose from her seat, clutching at the edge of the table for support. Wavering steps brought her slowly to the exit. Standing in the doorframe and looking at the court, she changed her mind and turned right, descending a flight of steps. According to Bellatrix, a bathroom was somewhere down there and she found the prospect of using cold, refreshing water to reawaken her senses much more appealing than the sticky heat outside. 

At first she didn't even realise that she must have missed the door labelled 'Bathroom'. Taking one step after another and keeping her balance took up too much of her concentration to also pay attention as to where she was going. When the floor increased its shaking, she leaned onto the wall, waiting for the shaking to subside. 

Remembering that she had wanted to go to the bathroom, she tried to find out where she had ended up instead. She was in a narrow, dimly lit corridor with only one door at its end. 

Serena noticed that the door was left slightly ajar and couldn't resist the urge to peep into the room. Her heart almost missed a few beats when her gaze fell upon Lord Voldemort. She silently cursed her luck that had led her directly to Voldemort's private office. If someone should catch her here, she would be in big trouble! Lord Voldemort sat at his desk and spoke to a Death Eater. While speaking, he repeatedly touched his temple with his wand, pulling dark strands of something glistening out of his head and into a stone basin that lay on the desk in front of him. It was decorated with runes and odd symbols and it was filled with whirling, dark mists. 

Even in her inebriated state Serena had no difficulties recognising the strange object. It was a Pensieve! Moody possessed one too. He deposited all the information he could get about the Wizarding War in it. When Serena reported to him, she added all of her important memories to the Pensieve, and other Aurors who met with Moody did the same. Afterwards, Moody analysed the contents of the Pensieve, trying to find new connections or confirm unreliable information by comparing different sources. 

So Lord Voldemort had a Pensieve too! If she only could have a look into it! It would make her spying so much easier. All his plans could be revealed overnight. And there were more advantages to it. The Pensieve could be used to convict a great number of Death Eaters. It would be as if the Dark Lord himself would testify against them. Perhaps they could even find weak spots and a way to defeat Voldemort for good! 

Lord Voldemort's voice was low and she found it difficult to understand his words. Fortunately it didn't take much concentration to change into her Animagus form and take advantage of the acute hearing that a lynx possessed. But when the transformation was completed, Voldemort had finished his speech and got up from his seat. He touched a small statue on his desk and a drawer at the left side of the desk opened. Voldemort took a silvery, star-shaped object out of it. Then he touched the wall panelling with his wand, saying, " _Aperio_!" 

The charm made a small, star-shaped hole appear and Voldemort pressed the pentagram, obviously a key, into it. The wooden panel swung open and revealed a secret compartment in the wall. After placing the Pensieve there, Voldemort shut the panel and put the silvery key back into the drawer. 

Grateful for having four legs to keep her balance, Serena hurried stealthily around the next corner of the corridor, hoping that neither Voldemort nor the Death Eater would go that way. She was lucky, both headed for the other direction. 

"Will you ever learn to close this door properly?" she heard Voldemort reproach the Death Eater and then both were out of earshot. 

Serena could hardly hear herself think. That blasted alcohol! But she knew that this was the most important discovery she had made so far. She had to get the Pensieve. After making sure that she was alone, she returned to the door and transformed back. It took her only a minute to find out which of the passwords she had learned while spying was the one to open the door and she slipped into the room. 

Tentatively, she touched the statue on Voldemort's desk. Nothing happened. She gripped it more firmly, then pushed and pulled in all directions, but without success. Trying to turn or bend it didn't help either. The statue seemed only to react to Voldemort's touch. An investigation of the wall panelling quickly convinced her that she absolutely needed the star-shaped key to open the secret compartment. 

Realising that she couldn't achieve anything at the moment, she left the office and headed back to the Assembly Hall as fast as her shaky feet could carry her. After she had left Voldemort's office a great deal behind without being caught, she took a deep breath of relief. But she had rejoiced too soon. Turning towards the stairs, she bumped into Lucius Malfoy. 

"Oh, Serena," he said in a mocking tone that she didn't like at all. "I was wondering where you've gone to. Have I already told you that you're wearing an especially beautiful dress today?" 

The gaze that he let wander over her gave Serena the unpleasant feeling that she wasn't wearing any dress at all. 

"Cissy did that," she mumbled, trying to get past him. 

"My wife has an excellent taste. She truly knows what I like," Malfoy said and insinuatingly licked his lips. 

He was now so close that Serena could smell the alcohol on his breath. She staggered backward to increase the distance between them. Malfoy followed instantly. After another step she bumped into the wall. Then everything seemed to happen at once, giving her befuddled mind no chance to prevent it. 

Serena felt suddenly Malfoy's hands on her shoulders and his lips on her mouth. She wanted to protest but that proved to be a mistake. As soon as she opened her mouth Malfoy seized the opportunity to invade it with his tongue. Instinctively, she tried to back away, but the wall behind her thwarted it. When she lifted her hands to shove him away, he seized them roughly and pinned her arms behind her back. It seemed an easy matter for him to hold an iron grip on her crossed wrists with just one hand. He pushed her against the wall, rendering her nearly unable to move. Then he deepened his kiss and began to lift the skirt of her dress with his other hand.


	12. Death Eater Attack

_(Halloween, October 1995)_

After Jon left the Three Broomsticks, he dashed down the main street as fast as his feet could carry him, paying no heed to his surroundings or where he went. Otherwise he might have noticed the two dark figures that hurriedly squashed themselves into the shadow of a bushy hedge when Jon, rounding a corner, came within sight of them. Not seeing that they slowly followed him after he passed by, Jon mechanically set one foot in front of the other, as if they weren't parts of him, but of an untiring machine. 

Even if Jon was paying no attention to where he was going or what he was doing, his mind was far from being idle. It was repeatedly reeling off the same pictures that had engraved themselves into his memory: his mum looking displeased with Snape's deduction of thirty points from Gryffindor, then Malfoy smirking and suddenly pulling at her sleeve, revealing a burn mark that made all bystanders gasp with surprise and horror. 

Jon's first reaction had been shock. He had stared at the Dark Mark, unable to conjure any coherent thought. 

Then denial. This just couldn't be true. He knew his mum, and she couldn't be a Death Eater. It contradicted everything he knew about her. Jon had felt the strong urge to flee - to leave the pub and this impossible situation. If he just kept telling himself this hadn't happened, if he never again saw this place that proved the contrary, maybe he could deceive himself that he had never seen that darn Mark. 

But this idea was as naïve as it was futile and with every new step this fact became clearer to him. Reality didn't change just because he refused to accept it. There was nothing to be done about it. His mother bore the Dark Mark, which meant that she was a Death Eater, or at least that she used to be one. 

Small things that he had noticed but never had taken the time to wonder about suddenly made sense to him. For example, why she always wore long-sleeved clothes, even in the hottest summers. Why the Ministry of Magic didn't trust her to raise Harry. Why Professor McGonagall had regarded her with such a disapproving look when they had arrived at Hogwarts. And why his mum was so secretive about her past. He wondered what else she might be hiding from him. 

But why from _him_? He was her son, he ought to know such things, shouldn't he? Even the professors knew it. Neither Snape nor the other teachers had seemed surprised. Malfoy had known it too. Suddenly Jon was sure that the reason for Draco's smirk hadn't been Snape's deduction of points, but anticipation of Jon's reaction to the unveiling of the Dark Mark. 

According to Harry, Lucius Malfoy had been present at the graveyard on Voldemort's resurrection. This meant Malfoy was a Death Eater too. No wonder he knew about his mum's Mark then. The question was, how much had he told his son Draco about her and how much had Draco made up for the pure sake of aggravating Jon. It had turned out that his mum bearing the Dark Mark was the truth. But did that mean that everything else Malfoy had said was also true? 

Part of him still refused to abandon all of the trust and faith in his mum that had been gained and repeatedly confirmed over the course of fifteen years. Death Eaters were nothing like her, they were Dark Witches and Wizards, evil to the core, sinister looking... No, stop, that was plain prejudice. He had never stopped to seriously think about Death Eaters. And why should he? Great Britain had been far away and it didn't concern him anyway. Or so he had thought. 

Why would Professor Dumbledore hire his mum as a teacher if she was loyal to Voldemort? To judge from everything Jon had heard about the headmaster, she couldn't have deceived him. Perhaps she had changed sides long ago, like Snape? Or she had been forced to serve the Dark Lord like Malfoy's father? 

The only person who could answer these questions was unfortunately the one who was most unlikely to discuss this subject with him at all: his mum. But now that he knew about the Dark Mark, maybe she would change her mind and talk to him? 

_'Jon, I can explain -'_ , had been her last words before he had stormed out of the pub. 

Jon stopped. He could at least try it. He would return to the Three Broomsticks and ask for her explanation. Having come to a decision filled him with new determination. The confusion and the feeling of getting lost in a world that scattered around him began to dissolve. 

Taking a deep, calming breath, Jon looked around. He was still on the main road, which ran the full length of Hogsmeade, but he had walked past the last houses already a while ago. Dusk had set in, the shadows had grown deeper, and the first stars became visible in the darkening sky. 

Neville and Seamus came wandering up the street. They had been looking - from a safe distance of course - at the Shrieking Shack that was located a stretch outside the village on a small mound. Now they were heading back, approaching Jon on their way. Soon it would be time to return to Hogwarts, and they probably wanted to treat themselves to one or two last butterbeers. 

"Hi, Jon," Seamus called. 

"Why are you alone? Where're the others? Did you clash with Harry again?" Neville asked, looking honestly concerned. 

"No, no clash with Harry," Jon answered, but didn't feel like revealing more details. "Are you two going to the Three Broomsticks?" 

"Yes, we are." 

"Do you mind if I come with you?" 

"Of course not," Seamus said. 

They had gone only a few paces when a hooded figure, clad in a black cloak, wand drawn, emerged from behind a bush beside the street and stepped in their way. Despite the poor light conditions Jon could make out a mask hiding the person's face under the hood. His brain, which had been thinking about Death Eaters a lot today, drew the conclusion at once: this must be one of them! 

He didn't have time to wonder what the Death Eater possibly wanted. The man barked three times in quick succession: " _Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy_!", pointing his wand at each boy in turn. 

Hit by red flashes, Neville and Seamus grew limp and toppled over. The third flare vanished in the dark, narrowly missing Jon as he sprung aside, grateful that they had recently trained their reflexes in Defence Against the Dark Arts. 

Pulling his wand out of his pocket, Jon did another jump to prevent the Death Eater from taking careful aim and shouted, " _Expelliarmus_!" 

The man was a bit too slow with blocking the spell and lost his wand, helplessly watching it fly towards Jon's outstretched hand. But before Jon could close his fingers around it, another hand snatched it out of the air, knocking Jon over. 

The hand belonged to a second Death Eater who had sneaked up on Jon from behind. He was huge, in height as well as in width, and strong as an ox. Without much effort he pressed Jon down on the ground, his plate-sized hands holding him tightly. The first Death Eater quickly strode over to them and tied Jon up with ropes that emerged from the tip of his recovered wand. 

As soon as Jon realised that he wouldn't be able to free himself from that iron grip, he started to scream for help, but was quickly silenced with a gag. 

* * *

Serena was shaken. All those years she had known that someday she would have to reveal her past to Jon. When the Dark Mark had become more and more prominent on her arm during the previous year she had known that sooner or later he would see it, and then he would want to know why his mother was wearing Voldemort's sign. But conscious of the fact that she couldn't tell him the entire story, she hadn't told him anything. 

Then she had received Dumbledore's letter. She had written a positive answer, aware that some professors knew about her career as a Death Eater. Aware of the likelihood that someone could let slip something to Jon. She decided to inform him before they arrived in Hogwarts, hoping that he wouldn't hate her, although she could only give him the official version of the facts, which lacked the information that she had been a spy and not a faithful servant to the Dark Lord. But then she had seen the deep, unconditional love of a child for his mother in Jon's eyes. At the same time she remembered James' expression after he had heard of her becoming one of Voldemort's followers. Not sure if she could stand such a look in Jon's eyes, she had backed out. 

Jon was her family. She loved him more than anyone else, and she didn't want to lose her family ever again. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him something that would stain her son's confidence and love for her. 

Now she was cursing herself for her cowardice. The professors and even some students knew it; only Jon had no clue. She should have known that Lucius Malfoy would pass on sordid information about her to his son Draco as soon as he learned that Serena was teaching at Hogwarts. 

Jon had given her the exact look that James had given her, the look that she had dreaded. It had wrenched her heart to see the disappointment and hurt in his eyes. Would she ever be able to repair this damage? If she tried to explain herself, would he even listen? And believe her? And what about Harry? He was probably also hurt to the quick, believing that she had once been loyal to the wizard who had murdered his parents. Or, and Serena shuddered at the thought, believing that she still was loyal. 

Serena sighed, trying to get a grip on herself. Panicking wouldn't help at all. First things first. She had to find Jon, if she wanted to talk to him. She let her gaze wander around, but the streets were deserted. Where on earth had he gone? 

Three students came slowly strolling down the main street of Hogsmeade. The emblems on their cloaks identified them as Hufflepuffs, most likely third or fourth years whose names currently eluded her. 

"Hey," she called, "Have you seen Jon Potter by any chance? Perhaps he ran past you?" 

They shook their heads. "No, Professor. We've met no one. Most students are in the Three Broomsticks by now, or on their way back to Hogwarts, I suppose," the smallest of the boys answered. 

Serena gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "Yeah, thanks. Then he's probably gone off in the other direction." Without further ado she turned around and rushed down the road, not wasting any thought as to what the three students might think of that. 

A short, stifled scream made her blood run cold in her veins. This sounded far too much like Jon's voice. Doubling her speed, she followed the road towards the place where the scream had come from. A few seconds later she rounded a hedge and caught sight of a scene that made her temporarily forget all other sorrows. 

Two students lay motionless on the road. A few steps beside the road, a hulking great figure held a third, struggling student, while another hooded figure was busy tying the boy up. Serena was still too far away to efficiently hex them, but they hadn't noticed her either. 

She covered the remaining distance with great leaps, her wand aimed at the men. As soon as she was near enough, she shouted " _Expelliarmus multiplicus_!" Two wands went soaring through the air, aiming for the spot where she had been when she had cast the spell. 

Not slowing down, Serena ignored the wands, which fell clattering down to the road somewhere behind her. Coming closer, she could see that the men wore Death Eater masks, and she could finally make out the student's faces. The confirmation that Jon actually was one of the victims caused her an upsurge of raging fury. A Stunning Spell felled the man next to her. In her wrath, she had cast it with so much power that he did two somersaults before he finally landed unconsciously on the ground. 

The other man would most likely have met the same fate, if a third Death Eater hadn't butted in. He Apparated directly in front of Serena, who was too fast to stop or dodge him. She ran into him, her momentum knocking both of them down. Before Serena could scramble off of him and onto her feet, the Death Eater seized her right hand and began to crush it in an attempt to make her let go of her wand. 

While clutching at the wand, Serena sank her knee down on his other arm, catching his wrist, so that he couldn't use his wand either. Panting and wriggling, each of them tried to free their wand hand and prevent the other from doing so at the same time, which resulted in a temporary stalemate situation. 

The second, still conscious Death Eater, watched them hesitantly for a few seconds, then apparently decided that he could help his fellow best with magic and hurried up the road, searching for his wand. It wasn't easy to find in the growing darkness, and he became slower and more watchful with every step. 

Serena knew that she couldn't wrestle with her opponent forever. He had already squashed every feeling save pain out of her hand. If she should ever manage to free it, she would hardly be able to hold her wand to perform magic. He was taller and stronger than Serena and only her stubbornness had prevented him from gaining the upper hand over her yet. To cap matters, the other Death Eater was nearing the spot where the wands had rained down. How could she take on two enemies at once, without being able to hex them into the next century? 

What she needed was a new tactic. Abruptly, she let go of her wand and changed into the lynx. Then she let out a deep, threatening growl that surprised and momentarily disconcerted the Death Eater. He didn't know how to hold her now. The hand that he had been crushing had suddenly become a paw with sharp claws. Serena used his bewilderment to wrest her paw free from his loosened grip. But he recovered from the surprise much faster than she had hoped. As soon as her paw was free, he clenched his now also free hand into a fist, and, in the next second, Serena saw stars exploding in front of her eyes. Yelping, she felt an overwhelming pain blazing in her sensitive nose. 

Summoning all her willpower, Serena refused to give in to the feeling of drowsiness that threatened to take possession of her. Only just in time she bit into his other hand as he raised it to point his wand at her. With an animalistic feeling of satisfaction she heard the sound of crushing bones and tasted the metallic flavour of blood. Instead of an incantation, a scream of utter pain left the man's mouth, his wand falling unheeded to the ground. Serena lost no time and snapped at his throat, but only caught his arm that he had raised to shield his neck. 

In this moment the other Death Eater had finally found his wand. Pocketing the wand of his unconscious fellow, he straightened up and aimed at the lynx. Then he shouted " _Crucio_!" 

Serena leaped aside with feline rapidity and the curse missed her. It hit the Death Eater instead, on whose chest she had stood only a moment ago. He began to scream again, doubling up with pain. 

When the first Death Eater recognised his mistake, he revoked the curse hastily. Serena turned towards him because he was the greater danger now. When she leaped at him, he Disapparated in the nick of time and she jumped through thin air. 

He reappeared next to the Death Eater who was still out cold and disappeared together with him a second later, this time for good. The third Death Eater, who had stopped screaming, grasped his wand, groaning with pain, and Disapparated too. 

Serena took a short breather and changed back to her human form. Her nose still hurt, but her human nose wasn't as susceptible to pain as the lynx-nose, and therefore easier to ignore. She picked up her wand with her uninjured hand and hurried over to Jon. His eyes were open, but he avoided her gaze. Concerned, she knelt down, bent over him, and undid the knot that kept his gag in place. 

When she reached for the gag to remove it, a threatening voice behind her commanded, "Get away from him!" 

Serena's head spun around. The Death Eaters hadn't reappeared as she had feared, but instead she found herself facing Harry, Ron, and Hermione. All three of them had their wands trained on her and they didn't look pleased. 

"If you hurt Jon," Harry growled, "you'll be very sorry." 

Serena shook her head. "But Harry, I would never do any harm to Jon! What on earth makes you think that?" 

"You're a Death Eater! How am I supposed to know what's going on in your head!" 

Hermione added, "We heard screams, horrible screams. And then we found Seamus and Neville, unconscious, and you bending over Jon, tying him up. What do you think that looks like?" 

"It's not what you think -" Serena commenced, when Jon spit his gag out and interrupted her. 

"Harry, she didn't tie me up. She's the one who saved me. There were Death Eaters attacking us and she drove them away. Please, let her take off these ropes, I can hardly feel my legs anymore!" 

Harry stood unmoving, trying to decide if Jon's answer was the truth or the result of a spell that Serena could have cast on him. 

Meanwhile, Hermione revived Seamus and Neville with Ennervating Spells. When they confirmed that they had been stunned by a tall hooded figure wearing a Death Eater mask, Harry finally lowered his wand, allowing Serena to untie Jon. But he still scrutinised her with a distrustful gaze. 

In order to not worry Harry, Serena didn't try to use her wand with her left hand, but undid the ties manually. Her right hand felt terrible. The Death Eater had probably broken her index finger, her thumb maybe too. Serena knew only one man who had such an iron grip: Lucius Malfoy. Which would mean that the other two most likely had been Crabbe and Goyle, two Death Eaters who rarely did anything without Malfoys orders. Like fathers like sons, she thought. 

"Jon, are you all right?" she asked when the last piece of rope fell to the ground. "Did they hurt you? Are you injured?" Again, she looked concerned at him and began to examine him for wounds. 

"No, I'm okay. You came just in time." 

Serena hugged him, relieved. "Oh, that was a close call. Too close for comfort. Thank Merlin that nothing's happened to you." She tightened the hug, immensely relieved that no one had been critically hurt. 

Jon suddenly stiffened. Serena noticed the change in his posture and let go of him. His expression spoke volumes: he had just remembered that there was still an unresolved issue standing between them and he wasn't willing to simply drop the matter, even if his mother had just happened to rescue him from a bunch of rampaging Death Eaters. 

"I'm sorry," she said with a guilty look in her eyes. "I know I should've told you ... at least _something_." Sighing, she added resignedly, "I'm a coward. But I'll make up for it. I promise." 

A few seconds of awkward silence followed. Serena got up and went over to Seamus and Neville. After Hermione had revived them, they sat on the grass, a few feet away from Jon, and recovered from the effect of the Stunning Spell. Serena checked them briefly for injuries, produced some chocolate from a pocket of her cloak and made them count the number of fingers she was showing them. Satisfied with the result, she helped them to get up at last. 

On their way back to Hogwarts, Serena urged the students to hurry up every now and then. Unable to hold her wand with her crushed hand, or to do decent magic with her other, non-wand hand, she explained to Hermione how to cast a protective field around the group that would alert them if anyone came within a radius of a hundred yards. Hermione mastered the spell at once, for which Serena awarded twenty points to Gryffindor, but the gratitude was limited. The students suspected bribery and refused to rise to the bait. 

Even with a magical field surrounding them, Serena didn't dare let her guard down. The Death Eaters could return at any moment. Searching out the tiniest movement, Serena squinted into the dusk, her eyes raking over the roadway that led to the castle, and the dark overgrown ditches that lay either side of them. It was not until they passed the gates of the Hogwarts grounds that she visibly relaxed and lowered her wand, which she had been holding in her left hand all the time despite its little use. 

"If you're still interested in hearing it," she softly said to Jon, climbing the steps to the great oak portal, "I'll tell you how I got that damn Mark." 

"And Harry," Jon demanded, while Ron opened the heavy door. 

She nodded. "Yeah, you and Harry." 

Seamus and Neville entered the castle. Before he followed, Harry said, "And Ron and Hermione. I'd tell 'em anyway." 

Serena sighed, shaking her head. "I knew you'd say that," she mumbled quietly. A bit louder, she answered, "I guess, I can't do anything to prevent you from telling Ron and Hermione whatever you please. Ah well, so be it. But you mustn't let anyone else in on it, is this clear?" 

All four students nodded eagerly, turning towards the stairs that led to Serena's office. But Serena shook her head, pointing to a different stairway. "First we'll inform the headmaster of the attack." 

* * *

"Blasted idiots!" 

Lucius Malfoy boiled with rage, pacing up and down and wrapping a cloth around his bleeding hand. He would need the help of a healer to get this damage undone. Shouting didn't really help, but he shouted anyway. 

"You've messed everything up. Two adults aren't capable of kidnapping a fifteen-year-old boy! Not even when I intervened to keep his mother away from you!" 

The two Death Eaters whom the yelling was directed at stood in front of him, eyes cast down. Both of them were heavier than Malfoy, and in a fist-fight he would hardly have stood a chance against either of them. But despite their advantage in physical matters they were profoundly intimidated of Malfoy, fearing his wrath and his hexes. 

"Instead," Malfoy continued to yell, "you hit me with the Cruciatus Curse, you blundering oaf!" 

He punched Crabbe with his unhurt fist hard in his face. Immediately Crabbe's nose started to bleed, but Crabbe didn't dare to wipe the blood off his face as long as he was in the focus of Malfoy's fury. 

"Why did you take Goyle with you, instead of the boy?" 

"Goyle... was unconscious," he stammered. "The Stunner hit him quite hard. I... I thought it'd be better to take him away... you know, so that she couldn't find out who attacked her son." 

Malfoy rolled his eyes, silently asking why he was cursed with such incompetent morons. 

"You should better leave the thinking to people who are capable of it and simply do what you're told, blockhead! Unlike you, Serena Potter isn't stupid. She's doubtless noticed that it was Death Eaters who attacked her son. She'll easily draw the conclusion that the Dark Lord is behind that assault. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already identified us despite our masks and cloaks. And now she's warned. She'll see to it that her son won't leave Hogwarts grounds any more. It'll be nearly impossible to reach him there. She'll now protect him with all means at her disposal. I should've done it alone, without you knuckleheads ruining everything! Our master will be anything but delighted!" 

Malfoy snorted in dismay. It was his unpleasant task to explain Crabbe and Goyle's failure to the Dark Lord. Angrily muttering a few expletives under his breath, he paced up and down. 

At length he pulled himself together, and opened a lopsided gate in a paltry fence that surrounded an old, decaying cabin. Wormtail stood already waiting in the shack's front door, waving him in. 

Malfoy entered, walking tall and unafraid, even if he didn't feel like it. But he would never show it in front of that snivelling worm. He would certainly receive punishment for his failure. At least he already had a new plan. He had to get Serena out of the way. The fact that she was an Animagus could prove to be extremely convenient for him. At the end of each school year he perused the Animagus Registry for new entries, and he was sure her name hadn't been on the rather short list the last time he checked it. For being an unregistered Animagus, he would cause her a lot of trouble. While she was busy coming to terms with the Ministry, he would see to the boy. He hoped this new plan would soothe the Dark Lord and lessen his punishment. 

* * *

After Serena and the six Gryffindors had returned to the castle, they spent a whole hour in the Headmaster's office. One after another, they gave a report of their view on the attack. Dumbledore made a serious face, but didn't comment until each of them had given a full account of what they had witnessed. 

Finally he nodded and thoughtfully stroked his beard. 

"This is a serious incident, but I won't say that I haven't been expecting something like this to happen. It would be foolish to assume that Lord Voldemort would lie low and wait for us to make the first move. I'm afraid we'll have to cancel all further Hogsmeade weekends until the situation has eased." 

A collective "Oh no!" escaped the boys while Serena nodded in agreement with the headmaster. 

"Well, it is necessary. No one can guarantee our safety in Hogsmeade, am I right?" Hermione assented to the headmaster's decision. She earned an annoyed look from her fellows for her logical view of the matter. 

"But don't worry now," Dumbledore continued. "Be assured that the staff is doing everything in its power to find a more convenient solution. For now, you should put it aside and look forward to the Halloween feast, which is about to begin in a good hour." With an insistent gaze at Neville, Seamus, and Jon, he added, "I would feel calmer if I knew that you had a check-up by Madam Pomfrey, to make sure that you aren't suffering any after-effects of the assault." 

When the students filed out of the office, Dumbledore gestured to Serena to stay put, waiting until they were alone. Then he said with a stern voice, "Serena, of course you were not obliged to inform anyone here about the range of your magical powers, but I would have welcomed it if you had told me about something that important. Knowing you, I suppose you did not become an Animagus the official, sanctioned way." 

Serena shook her head. "No, I didn't. I neither applied at the Ministry for an official Animagus course, nor took lessons with a registered instructor." 

Dumbledore sighed unhappily. "And the attackers now know about your ability. They certainly will not hesitate to use this knowledge for their benefit." 

"If they want to report me to the Ministry -" Serena shrugged her shoulders, "- they may very well do so. They'll find that there's nothing illegal about my skill." 

"Nothing illegal? Didn't you just confirm the opposite?" 

Serena gave him an odd, unfathomable smile. "Not really. I've been living in the States for the last sixteen years. There's no law over there that demands registration of Animagi. The first thing I did back in London was to go to the Ministry and register." Her smile brightened. "I thought I should do that, just in case." 

"Oh, then you became an Animagus in America?" Dumbledore arched an eyebrow. 

"No one can prove otherwise." Serena took a deep breath, her smile vanishing. "But there's another problem. There was a struggle in the Three Broomsticks, in the course of which Draco Malfoy managed to expose my Dark Mark." 

"Who saw it?" 

"All the bystanders. Professors, students, other guests of the pub... And who hasn't seen it will soon learn it by word of mouth, I suppose. Tomorrow, at the latest, I expect the first letters to arrive, from concerned parents who don't want their children to be taught by a Death Eater." 

Dumbledore again stroked his beard, deep in thought. Finally he looked at Serena, his expression much less serious than she had expected it to be. "Well, this is not nice, but no reason to fret. The Ministry of Magic dropped all charges against you, after all. I will point the concerned parents to this fact and I will emphasise that the Ministry doesn't do anything without reason. You will continue as before. You do not owe an explanation to anyone. If you should, however, feel the urge to explain some details to certain students, I will understand. And I will not try to hinder you." 

Serena nodded and got up. "Thank you for your understanding." 

When Serena passed the stone gargoyle, she found Harry, Jon, Ron, and Hermione waiting for her. 

"Yes, I know, I promised you an explanation," Serena beat them to any remark. "Would you like to accompany me to the infirmary? After Poppy has seen to Jon and healed my hand, I'll be yours, okay?"


	13. Game Over

_(August 1979)_

Severus tapped the fingers of his right hand on the table in an unending staccato. Little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger. Not the thumb, though. Again and again. He hadn't even noticed when he had started with it. But he knew why he had. He was worried. 

Serena had left a while ago in need of cool air. Severus had watched her staggering out of the hall, hardly being able to stop himself from grinning. She had a small, slim figure, which looked great in the violet dress she was wearing, but didn't help her ability to hold her drink at all. She was fully aware of her weakness, so Severus didn't often see her drink and when she did, she usually contented herself with a sole glass of wine. Today, however, she hadn't been able to exercise prudent restraint without affronting other Death Eaters. Severus had found it extremely entertaining to watch her wavering steps. Usually she appeared to control even her tiniest movements; now she walked without much command of her legs, desperately fighting to not lose her balance. 

This had been over an hour ago and Severus wasn't amused anymore. He hoped that Serena hadn't hit on the idea to Apparate home. Intoxicated, this could be mortally dangerous. If she didn't fully concentrate, she could easily spread her molecules over several counties. But perhaps she had simply collapsed somewhere and fallen asleep? 

Because he couldn't stop worrying, Severus rose from his seat, heaving a barely audible sigh, and went looking for her. The Death Eater sitting opposite him, who had frequently raised his glass to Severus during the last hour, didn't even notice the leave of his drinking partner and continued to raise his glass to an empty chair, muttering incomprehensible words to himself. 

Outside, Severus found quite a few drunks lying dead to the world, but Serena wasn't among them. Severus combed the adjoining hallways, his worries steadily increasing. After what seemed an eternity he finally spotted her in a dark corridor. Whatever he had expected to see when he found her, it wasn't this. Serena wasn't alone. She stood very close together with Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy was kissing her as if he wanted to suck her tonsils out. He held her in a tight embrace with his right arm, while his left hand fumbled with the skirt of her dress. 

Thunderstruck, Severus stared at the scene. When Serena moaned, he spun around and hastened away. He couldn't believe what he had seen. It was an open secret that Malfoy wasn't a faithful husband. But Severus had never thought that Serena of all people would fall for him. She was Narcissa's friend, after all. And she was no brainless chick who would throw herself at a man just because he was able to pay for an exclusive dinner or buy her glittering trinkets. Severus had always been firmly convinced that Serena couldn't stand Malfoy. Most of the time she avoided him, and if she couldn't help being in his company, they always unleashed their venom on each other. But apparently this had only been a smart ploy to deceive others. 

A jolt of jealousy flashed through Severus - not a completely new sensation. The first time he had felt it had been when he had watched Serena dancing with Black at the Valentine's Day ball in Hogwarts. The way they had looked at each other had hurt him more than he had thought possible. Suddenly he had become aware that a mere friendship with Serena, albeit a close one, wasn't exactly what he wished for. The abrupt end of Serena's affair after only one date had made him happier than it probably should have in view of Serena's apparent grief about it. The joy hadn't lasted long, anyway. Soon Severus had realised that the disaster with Black had thoroughly cured Serena of any romantic feelings. She hadn't shown interest in anyone again, least of all in him. 

This was small wonder, no woman in her right mind would. He simply wasn't what women would think of as attractive: long and gaunt, greasy hair, and a big, crooked nose. Not to forget his tendency to make cynical remarks that many people found insulting. He knew that he didn't attract women. Severus had accepted the fact that he had to pay to get any female attention long ago. If he attempted anything, Serena would certainly run away, screaming - or worse, laughing. Proficient at controlling his emotions, at hiding everything that was going on inside him, he successfully concealed his true feelings from Serena. 

The belief that he wouldn't stand a chance with her didn't change the feelings inside him one iota, though. And so he waited, secretly hoping that Serena might one day see behind his repulsive appearance. He patiently waited for her to realise that she didn't need to look for someone to make her happy because she had already found one who was willing to do so, and this one was right under her nose. Severus waited for a miracle. 

But miracles didn't happen, and Serena didn't seem to seek a romantic relationship. Now he knew why. She wasn't looking for a lover, because she had already found one. Lucius Malfoy, of all people! 

Frustrated, Severus returned to his seat in the Assembly Hall. The Death Eater across the table looked surprised when Severus sat down, but then raised his glass to him anyway. 

And again someone else had done what Severus didn't dare, and had got the woman who should be his. First Black, now Malfoy. Why were others the only ones who found the way to her heart? 

_'Because you're a coward, and never let her know about your feelings for her,'_ a reproachful voice answered in his mind, a voice that he had heard way too often. 

Severus started to empty another mug of beer in order to drown the voice, determined to follow the example of the Death Eater opposite him and drink himself into oblivion. 

* * *

Serena's mind reeled, vainly trying to take in what happened. This couldn't be! Malfoy was married to Narcissa! How dare he touch another woman, how dare he kiss her! Force himself on her! 

She wished she had her wand, but it was still in the Assembly Hall. She could vaguely remember having put it in a pitcher, but not for what reason. An inexcusable blunder, which she bitterly regretted now. 

_'I'm never drinking again!'_ she vowed to herself, but this didn't help her current situation one bit. 

With disturbing clarity she could discern the taste of beer and whisky that Malfoy had brought into her mouth. Again, she attempted to protest, regardless of the fact that his tongue still prevented her from pronouncing distinct words. The attempt resulted in an inarticulate noise, which Malfoy promptly misinterpreted, pressing his body even closer to her. He had pulled her skirt up and reached under the hem, touching the bare skin of her leg. 

A wave of disgust jolted through Serena when she felt his fingers on her thigh. For a second, she imagined his reaction if she gave in to the nausea and vomited all over him, but then she suppressed the urge to throw up and just bit her teeth together with all strength she could muster. Malfoy jerked his head back in sudden pain. 

The foul taste of mixed spirits in her mouth mingled with the metallic flavour of blood, but she didn't mind. Fresh air filled her suffocating lungs after what seemed to have been an eternity. With a tinge of satisfaction, Serena watched a few drops of blood trickling down over his lower lip, crossing his chin and staining the lapel of his expensive black robe. 

A heavy blow made her ears ring. "You li'l bitch!" Malfoy shouted at her, slurring his words because of his hurting tongue. 

"Speak for yourself!" Serena snapped back. "How dare you touch me!" The right side of her face was burning from the slap, but at least Malfoy had taken his hand from her thigh. "Don't you think of Cissy for one second?" 

"All 'e time. It's her wish that we'd get along better, and who am I to deny my wife anything?" he said with a lecherous grin, but with the blood in his face the grin distorted into a hideous grimace. 

"I'm sure that she didn't mean it _that_ way! And you bloody well know this!" Serena tried to wriggle out of the narrow space between Malfoy and the wall, but his grip became more tight and painful, making her wrists feel as if they were being clamped in a vice. 

"I'll tell you what," Malfoy said, a new cloud of his alcohol-stained breath washing over Serena's face, "Every time I see you, you're ill-tempered." 

"So you've noticed the connection," Serena answered sourly, having no difficulties giving her voice a particularly ill-tempered note. 

Malfoy ignored her reply. "And I know the reason for your bad mood, sweetheart. I bet Snape has no clue how to give it to a woman properly. This must be truly frustrating in the long run." 

"That's none of your business, even if there was anything going on between Sev and me!" 

Malfoy snorted contemptuously. "Don't tell me that he'd let you live in his house without taking advantage of the situation. What kind of fool do you take me for?" 

"Just because you're an unscrupulous, selfish pervert with his brain in his crotch doesn't mean everyone is. And if you don't take your bloody hands off me at once, I'll hurt you with the greatest of pleasure!" Serena had no idea how to do so, but she made an effort to have her last words sound especially threatening. Malfoy was rather unimpressed, though. 

"Whatever you say," he dismissed her denial, apparent in his tone that he didn't believe her. "I'll show you how it's like to have it on with an expert. You'll certainly enjoy it more than anything Snape could do for you." 

Serena doubted it and watched with horror his hand reaching back under her skirt, felt it pulling at her slip. She fought the upsurge of panic; losing her nerve wouldn't help her at all. 

Malfoy displayed another lecherous grin at hearing the cracking noise coming from the the slip's seam, which started to yield to the strong pull. Serena bowed her head and banged it against his face in a desperate attempt to free herself. Tomorrow she would certainly have a headache, but with the amount of wine she had drunk, she would have got it anyway. 

Malfoy's nose made a crushing sound, and he released the iron grip on her wrists to feel for the damage done to his face. Serena didn't wait until he recovered from that painful surprise and turned sideward to get away from him. When he grabbed her by her arm to hold her back, she rammed her elbow deep into his stomach. Malfoy gave a new wail of pain and sank down on his knees, panting for breath. 

Serena tottered away a few steps and then yelled at him, "You bastard! If you _ever_ try that again, I'll kill you! And I'll tell Cissy what a great arsehole she's married!" 

Noticing that Malfoy reached into his robe, fumbling for his wand, she turned and fled back to the quadrangle as fast as she could. There, she wouldn't be alone. If Malfoy should follow her, he would not be able to corner her again without witnesses. Arriving outside, she leaned against a wall, waiting for her heartbeat to slow down. 

How could he! He was drunk, but that wasn't a valid excuse to betray his wife and force himself on another woman. On her! She had never made a secret of her dislike for him, so why had he chosen _her_? Just because she happened to be there, alone, and struggling with the effect of too much wine, which made her an easy prey? Or was it her dress, hugging her figure and showing too much skin? Did it convey the message that she was a loose woman? 

When she looked up, she caught the gaze of a Death Eater, standing in a corner, holding a bottle of whiskey and casting lewd glances at her. Serena remembered her arrival. When she had entered the castle, she had received a lot of admiring looks. She had enjoyed the attention then. But now she wasn't so sure anymore about those looks being admiring. Rather greedy and lusting. A cold shudder went down her spine. Here were dozens of men who would kill without batting an eyelid. They probably wouldn't stop at raping a drunken woman either. 

Nausea rose up again, fed by the alcohol in her body, the still vivid memory of Malfoy's almost-rape, and the awareness of being surrounded by dangerous wizards and being practically helpless. She didn't have the strength to suppress the retching feeling any longer and didn't fight when the content of her stomach forced its way out. For once she was grateful that Narcissa had insisted on pinning her hair up. 

When the heaves finally subsided Serena straightened up and looked around. Almost no one had taken notice of her outburst. The Death Eater who had stared at her with unconcealed interest had gone away. The idea of approaching someone who could puke all over them probably wasn't exactly tempting. 

Nonetheless Serena didn't feel like staying any longer. She roughly wiped her face with the sleeve of a snoring man lying against the wall. The sickness was subsiding, but a growing fatigue replaced it. Not bothering to clean up her mess, she hurried back to the Assembly Hall, intending to get her wand and then to leave. 

* * *

Severus was still brooding over the injustice of life when Serena came back into the almost empty hall. Her hair was in slight disorder and her dress looked dishevelled too. The memory of Malfoy kissing her came back to Severus' mind. His brain added an image of Malfoy running his hands through Serena's hair and all over her body to cause this dishevelled look. Sullenly, he took a long swig of beer. 

Pretending to ignore her, he secretly watched her groping along the table and looking into the mugs and pitchers with increasing bewilderment. What was she doing? Trying to find out which was hers? If she still felt like drinking, she could always have a new mug. 

To his surprise she suddenly reached into one of the pitchers and took a wand out of it. Her wand, apparently. Then she turned towards him. 

"Sev, I wanna go home," she said, making an effort to not mumble too much. 

"Well, then go," he answered brusquely and silently added, _'Malfoy'd love to bring you back, wouldn't he?'_ He took another gulp of his beer. 

Serena cast him an astounded look, but then shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, see you later then." 

She straightened up, lifted her wand, and opened her mouth. Like a statue, she held this pose for a couple of seconds. Then she let her wand sink and took a deep breath. When she started a new attempt, Severus jumped up. She would splinch herself for sure, drunken as she was. 

"What are you doing!" he burst out, making a grab for her wand. "Stop it! You can't Apparate in your state!" 

"I noticed that... can't concentrate on a target," she answered remorsefully. "What now? How am I going to get home?" 

Right after asking this question, Serena's knees gave way. If Severus hadn't stood next to her and caught her, she would have tumbled over. 

"You're pissed as a newt. Better I get you home." 

Severus had also clinked glasses with a good number of Death Eaters, but he was still in control of his senses. Despite his plan to get blind drunk and drown all nagging voices in his mind, he had simply sat there, brooding. He had only emptied half of his last beer and felt still more or less sober, quite capable of Apparating. 

"Oh, that's so sweet of you! Thanks, Sev," Serena breathed, stretching to wrap her arms round his neck and get a more stable footing. 

Severus instantly wrinkled his nose. 

"You've vomited," he said, rather stating a fact than asking a question. 

Serena nodded miserably. "Too much drink, I s'ppose." 

The idea of Serena puking all over Malfoy, ruining his outrageously expensive looking robe, enlightened Severus' mood a bit. Maybe this was the reason that Malfoy hadn't returned to the hall as well. 

A little bit placated, he commanded, "Open your mouth!" 

Startled, Serena opened her eyes; she had been close to falling asleep. After Severus repeated his order, she obeyed, her eyes already shut again. One Cleaning Spell later the foul smell of vomit in her mouth had yielded to a fresh minty flavour. 

Serena nestled up against him, resting her head on his chest. She clung to his neck like someone who was drowning clung to a lifebelt. Severus could clearly feel the heat that her body radiated through the thin fabric of her dress. Putting one arm around her waist to support her weight, he could also sense the softness of her skin under the dress and the selvedge that marked the edge of her slip. He made an effort to ignore these sensations and to concentrate on Apparating instead. 

A second later they appeared in the front yard of his house. For the first time Severus regretted having put an Apparition barrier on his home to keep unwanted visitors away. Since Serena had fallen asleep, he lifted her up and carried her inside. If he had been able to Apparate directly into her room, he would have spared himself from picking his way precariously up the narrow, steep stairs with her in his arms. 

He lay Serena down on her bed, took her shoes off and spread a blanket over her. For about a minute, he studied her sleeping form. Her delicate figure was visible in outline through the blanket, as were her breasts that rose and fell in a steady rhythm. The alcohol had given her cheeks a rosy flush. Her cherry lips were slightly parted, gleaming invitingly. 

Severus pulled himself together and took a step towards the door. 

"Sev?" he heard her voice and looked back. 

"Please don't go. I... I need to tell you something." 

She looked at him, a desperate gleam shining in her blue eyes. Severus sat down on the edge of her bed and questioningly arched an eyebrow. 

"It's about Malfoy," she began, "He... he has -" 

"Shhh," Severus silenced her, pressing a finger onto her lips. He had already seen enough, he didn't want to hear about it. 

"Everything's okay," he whispered when she made another attempt to speak. She was so beautiful, he thought, even now, in her inebriated state. She was way too good for that scumbag who betrayed his pregnant wife. 

Acting on an impulse, he bent down and kissed her lips - and noticed with surprise that, after a moment of shock, she was kissing him back. And with such intensity and hunger that it astonished him. 

* * *

A ray of sunlight fell through the window and tickled Serena's nose. She awoke with a feeling of contentment and satisfaction. Slowly, she creaked an eye open - and shut it again immediately. 

What she had seen threatened to ruin her good mood. Her arm, with the Dark Mark imprinted on it, lay directly in front of her eyes. Gradually, the events of the other day came back to her mind, and she started to wonder how she could be in such a good mood after such a horrible evening. She decided to remove her arm with the disgusting mark from her view before she opened her eyes again. This feeling was simply too wonderful to spoil it so soon. 

Clasping her hands behind her head, she opened her eyes again. Her gaze still fell on the burn mark. After a moment of confusion Serena realised that this couldn't be her arm - too muscular, too hairy. A male arm, it dawned upon her. A glance to the left revealed that it belonged to Severus, who lay beside her, softly snoring. 

Wait a minute - Severus? What was he doing in her bed? Shocked, she tried to sit up but gave only a groan of pain before she sank back into her pillow. Moving had definitely been a mistake. Her head felt as if her brain had doubled its volume, but still had to squeeze itself into her normally sized skull. Fortunately she was living under the same roof as a very talented Potions Master. Severus could certainly brew a potion that got rid of this mother of all hangovers. Which returned her thoughts to Severus. 

She cast another furtive glance at her bedfellow and the next discovery almost gave her a heart attack. Her dress was lying crumpled on the floor, on top of the new black cloak, right next to the white mask. Everything else she had worn was littered about the room as well. A glimpse to the left confirmed that Severus wasn't wearing anything either, save the blanket that was tangled about his legs. 

Serena tried to remember what had happened last night. Instantly, a new wave of pain hurtled through her head. Gently, she massaged her temples. When the throbbing pain eased, the memory came back. At least a few fragments. Severus had brought her home and put her in her bed. Then he had left. No, she had asked him to stay. Had felt the urge to tell someone about Malfoy's assault, someone who wasn't in immediate danger of losing an unborn child because of aggravation. And then? She continued to massage her temples and finally remembered that they hadn't talked about Malfoy, but kissed instead. This was all, more memories didn't come back and the attempt of forcing them to return only caused more pain in her head. 

But what could possibly have happened between a man and a woman who started with kissing and ended with sleeping in the nude in the same bed? The idea that Severus just hadn't dared leaving her alone in her state and that it was summer and simply too hot to wear anything in bed sounded too contrived to be convincing. Whichever way she looked at it, the conclusion was always the same. 

"Good morning," Severus' rich voice sounded, making Serena jump. Its tone of relaxed contentment reminded her strangely of her own emotional state when she had awoken. Very suspicious, since Severus was never happy, or at least didn't let it show. 

"Ouch," she wailed, "Quieter, please ... oh, my head..." 

After a few more seconds of massaging her temples she asked the question that unsettled her mind, "Sev, why are you here? And starkers?" 

"Don't you remember?" Severus asked in return. 

Frowning, she said, "Hmm, let's see... I was drunk... you put me to bed... perhaps you took advantage of the situation?" 

"How will you know that _I_ was the one taking advantage?" he again asked mockingly instead of giving an answer. 

Serena groaned. His abnormally good mood was fairly disconcerting. 

"Cause I was way too drunk to be capable of seducing you." 

Severus slid closer to Serena, gazing intently into her eyes. When he spoke, his deep, purring voice sent shivers down her spine. "You have no idea how seductive you can be, even if you're royally pissed. But don't worry; nothing's happened that you didn't want." 

Disappointment and relief washed over Serena at the same time. She had liked the thought that Severus had been the reason for the wonderful feeling she had woken up with. But however much she would have liked it, they couldn't become lovers, and it was better to not start anything in a frenzy of drunken passion that she had to break up again. 

Before she could wonder what Severus was doing in her bed if nothing had happened, he added, still smiling, "Of course you were more than willing. And if you can't remember, I'd love to jog your memory and show you what we did." 

He pulled her over to him and repeated the kiss that had started everything the previous evening. Like then, it took Serena by surprise, and her body reacted faster than her brain, instinctively melting into his embrace. 

But this time she was sober, and her brain didn't stop working, even if it was severely tempted to do so. Instead it reminded her that she was a spy for the Ministry, whereas Severus was an actual Death Eater. He was loyal to the Dark Lord, whom Serena was betraying. It was likely that some day Severus would end up in Azkaban. And he would probably kill her before that, if he ever found out the truth about her. Her job was dangerous. She needed to keep a clear head, and keep emotions out of her reasoning. 

Serena pulled back and faced a questioning gaze from black eyes. She found passion in them, something that she had never seen there before. Severus had always locked his emotions away deep down in his heart. And now he had decided to draw back the veil and show his innermost depths, show it to her of all people. She hated herself. If she had been more in control of herself, if she hadn't given in to her secret desires in a moment of weakness, she wouldn't face this situation now. She wouldn't have to destroy the hopes she had raised in Severus, wouldn't have to hurt his feelings. 

"I'm sorry," she begun, not having the faintest idea how to continue. Playing for time, she crawled out of the bed and seized a bundle of clothes. 

When she was finished saying what she had to say he would never again look at her with this intense, fervour filled gaze. But she couldn't help it. She straightened herself. When she finally spoke, she managed to let her voice sound icy and callous. 

"Forget what happened. I was drunk. It was a mistake and it'll never happen again." 

She didn't wait for his answer. She couldn't even look at him, fearing that the mere sight of him would crumble her half-hearted determination; that she would surrender to the urge to embrace him, and take back every word against her better judgement. Grabbing her wand and a pair of shoes, she fled the room. On her way down the stairs she hastily slipped into her robes, then left the house and Disapparated, silent tears streaking down her cheeks. 

Serena spent the day with plenty of Apparating. At first she walked along a lonely beach, watching the tempestuous sea. She tried to get the boiling emotions under control that were not unlike the surging waves. More than once she collapsed into tears, crying over their friendship, which was undoubtedly damaged, if not destroyed, and a lost love that had never had a chance. Why couldn't life be easy? Why was it always a rollercoaster between Heaven and Hell? 

Hours later, when she had finally calmed down, she met Moody in London and told him about Voldemort's Pensieve. Afterwards, she let a gigantic ice-cream sundae at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour pour balm on her wounded soul. And she cried some more, cried over the memories of last night that had finally fully returned. Cried because she wanted so much more of this, but she knew she could never allow herself to get it. Once she was able to think straight and logically again, she bought a couple of newspapers and magazines. Half-heartedly, she scanned the advertisement sections for available lodgings. She didn't wish to move out of Severus' house, but she would understand if he wanted her to. 

It was already after dusk when she finally returned home. Severus didn't throw her out, didn't speak to her at all. He had fallen back into his old pattern of behaviour, remained taciturn and reserved, even more so than before, as if she was a stranger to him. 

* * *

Only two days later, Serena, Severus, and Malfoy learned what it meant to belong to Voldemort's inner circle. Before, they had dealt with various tasks, smaller and greater ones, like pestering Muggles, sounding out Ministry members for useful information, recruiting new followers, or providing the Dark Lord with whatever he requested. They hadn't killed anyone yet; such actions were reserved for Death Eaters. But now they were Death Eaters and had to prove themselves worthy of the Dark Mark. 

It was early evening and Serena picked listlessly at a meagre dinner that was still too large for her lack of appetite, when she felt a tugging sensation in her left forearm. Pulling up her sleeve, she found her Dark Mark burning black. 

Severus noticed it too. "We're called to a meeting," he stated coldly, his voice lacking any emotion. Dropping his fork, he got up and left the kitchen. Heaving a sigh, Serena followed him. 

When she stepped out of the front door, Severus was already gone. Serena put up the hood of her cloak, donned the Death Eater mask and Disapparated too, letting the Dark Mark guide her to the destination. She landed in Voldemort's castle, and the burning sensation faded away. A couple of Death Eaters were already there, and others were arriving with every new second. They all wore the mandatory black cloaks and white masks. Differences in height, build, and voice made them distinguishable nevertheless. With a bit of practice Serena would certainly soon be able to tell the identity of most of the Death Eaters despite their disguises. 

During the meeting in the Assembly Hall, Lord Voldemort listened to reports about finished tasks and gave out new orders. Finally he waved Severus, Serena, Malfoy, and a fourth Death Eater to his seat. He introduced the Death Eater as Rosier and informed them that he would be their team leader, whom they had to give their unqualified obedience on their joint missions. 

After Voldemort had dismissed them, Rosier ordered them to Apparate to Shelton Village, a small town at the English south coast. He pointed to a lonely house about a hundred yards away and said, "Our Lord wishes that you'll conjure the Dark Mark above this house tonight. I'll watch how you go about it." 

"Who's living there?" Serena curiously asked. 

"This shouldn't be of interest to you. Tomorrow they're all dead anyway. Suffice to know that they're filthy Mudblood scum." As if to emphasize his disgust, Rosier spit out in the direction of the house. 

"Okay, then let's go," Malfoy said excitedly. He could hardly wait to show that he had no qualms about killing someone if his master demanded it of him. 

Serena wasn't half as enthusiastic about their task as Malfoy. Now the moment had come that she had dreaded. What should she do now? She had already pondered this problem in quite a few sleepless nights, but had never been able to find a solution to her dilemma. She couldn't allow, let alone participate in, killing an innocent family. But if she tried to prevent the murder, her cover would be blown. And would she even be able to save these people? She, alone, against three powerful Death Eaters? Or would any of her attempts result in just one more dead body in the morning, namely hers? Without a doubt, she didn't stand a chance in a direct fight, so she would have to catch them unawares. But as soon as she turned against one of them, the surprise was gone for the other two. 

"Hey, Potter, what are you waiting for, a written invitation? Or are you a yellow-belly?" Malfoy called mockingly, but was instantly rebuked by Rosier for not being silent. 

They were already halfway over to the house and Serena hastened to follow them. Suddenly she saw the perfect answer. Moody had showed her a way to cast a spell simultaneously on a group of targets. It was difficult, and more effective with easy spells, since the strength of the spell divided up between all recipients. To make up for this, one needed to cast it with more power in accordance to the number of aims. After a lot of practise, Serena had finally managed to freeze ten rats at once. Of course people were bigger than rats, but there were only three of them to be put out of action. 

Serena took her wand out and trained it at the men in front of her. Fortunately they had their backs turned on her, looking over at the house for a sign that Malfoy's shouting had awoken any of its inhabitants. She aimed carefully and concentrated hard; if she didn't succeed at the first attempt, she certainly wouldn't get another chance. 

With pounding heart but firm voice she exclaimed, " _Petrificus totalus multiplicus_!" 

All three Death Eaters, already walking across the front lawn, grew stiff and fell over like dummies. Serena pocketed their wands and stunned them one after another so they couldn't try to get free while she was away. 

Despite the commotion outside, everything in the house was silent. No light was on inside. Serena opened the front door with " _Alohomora_!" and slipped stealthily in. Her next spell revealed five persons inhabiting this house, distributed over three rooms on the upper floor and sleeping. 

To cause as little noise as possible, Serena Apparated upstairs and found herself in a children's room. Two girls slept here. Serena lit her wand with the light that was invisible to others and looked around. To improve her sight, she took off her Death Eater mask and hung it on her belt. The younger girl was obviously a witch. A wand and _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ lay on her bedside table. A few other brand-new looking Hogwarts utensils were piled up on the table at the window. It looked like the girl would be a first year when Hogwarts started back in two weeks. The lack of any used magical equipment indicated that the older sister was Muggle. 

Serena stepped between the girls' beds and memorized their looks as precisely as she could. Then she clamped her hand over the Muggle girl's mouth while she transfigured her younger sister into a tiny wooden dummy that resembled her down to the smallest details. 

She knew it was forbidden to transfigure living human beings into inanimate objects because one could mess up a lot when transfiguring them back. But Serena had neither the time nor the inclination to explain her plan to the family and to coax them into cooperation. The older girl awoke from the pressure on her face and struggled vainly to get free. No sound escaped her lips because Serena held her mouth firmly closed. A few seconds later the girl joined her sister in the shape of another tiny figurine. 

They both disappeared in a pocket of Serena's cloak. She inspected the deserted beds and found a stuffed dog in one and a teddy bear in the other. She took both and Apparated downstairs again. The door to the left side of the entrance opened to a kitchen where Serena laid the toys on the floor. She transfigured them into two bodies, covered with cuts and bruises, streaming with blood, and resembling the girls. They looked as if they had been beaten and tortured to death. When Serena scrutinized them to verify if they looked genuine, her stomach confirmed the authenticity with a queasy rumble. 

She went on to the next inhabited room, which turned out to be the parent's bedroom. Both were Muggles, and Serena had no difficulties turning them into two more small dolls. A bra and a pair of boxers from the laundry basket went down to the kitchen and became two fake bodies, as badly injured as their false daughters. Serena deliberately chose personal items that had been close to their owners' bodies because this helped the transfiguration to become more authentic. 

A N.E.W.T. certificate, pinned at the fridge door, told her that the third child of the family was a wizard, and a fully educated one at that. Serena took a closer look at the marks when a horrified gasp made her spin around. 

The owner of the certificate stood in the doorway, rooted to the spot and staring wide-eyed at the dead bodies. Serena recognised him at once; he was Ronald Henderson, a former Ravenclaw. He had been one year below her and must have finished Hogwarts this summer. Serena had noticed him for the first time when Lucius Malfoy had loudly called him a Mudblood in the Entrance Hall in front of the students. When he had attempted to jinx Ronald, her brother James had stepped in and reflected the hex. For the rest of the day, mud had incessantly dripped from Malfoy's ears and nose. He had been the target of scorn and derision for the rest of the month. Serena didn't want to know what Malfoy would have done to Ronald if he had been given the chance tonight. 

Ronald had recognised her as well, because he unbelievingly said, "You? What have you done to my family?" 

"They aren't your family, they -" Serena begun but was cut short by Ronald. 

"Not my family? Just because they're Muggles?" he angrily shouted. "I'd never thought that you would share those prejudiced opinions... Your brother was always so nice to me..." His anger turned into despair, his eyes brimming with tears. Then he suddenly remembered that Serena wasn't in his kitchen because she had stopped by for a cosy chat. He cast an Expelliarmus at her, but she blocked it and followed him when he dashed out of the house. 

_'Don't let him Disapparate, please don't let him Disapparate,'_ Serena silently pleaded, following him out of the door. 

But she didn't need to worry. Ronald was apparently way too upset to conjure any reasonable thought and just followed his instincts to flee. She saw him running down the street and Apparated after him, petrifying him as soon as she was in reach for a spell. 

"I'm sorry," she murmured, turning him into the fifth, and last doll. 

Serena returned to the house and picked up a sock from the floor in Ronald's room. It looked gruesome as a Death Eater victim, but at least it smelled better. 

Then she got the kitchen and parts of the house into a mess and cast lots of Dark Curses all about the kitchen. This should generate enough magical remnants to create a convincing scene of a crime. The Aurors would later assume that the Death Eaters had invaded the house and dragged all family members out of their beds and down to the kitchen where they had tortured and finally killed all five of them. 

Serena felt profoundly worn-out from casting so many spells, hexes, and curses but the most complicated part still lay before her. She needed to manipulate three memories. Merely Obliviating the reminiscences of her ambush wouldn't suffice, they had to be firmly convinced that they had killed the Hendersons. 

When she returned to the lawn outside, her companions were still out cold. Serena sat down on the grass, gathering her strength, and spent the next few minutes making up a particularly detailed, cruel, and sickening image of the evening. With the help of a Memory Charm she implanted the false memory in Severus' mind. She repeated this procedure with Rosier and Malfoy, always slightly adjusting the image to accommodate their different points of view. When she was finished, she felt so weary that she wondered if she would still find enough strength to Apparate home. 

"Okay, and who of us will get the honour of casting the Dark Mark to the sky now?" Serena asked after she had revived the three men. She hoped that she wouldn't be the (un)lucky one. 

"In view of the fact that Lucius had the extraordinarily entertaining idea to use the Imperious Curse and make the son help us torture the rest of his family, I'll grant him this privilege," Rosier answered, grinning broadly. 

Serena exhaled a breath of relief, not only because she apparently had successfully altered Rosier's memory, but also because he had chosen Malfoy. So she could save the few remains of her strength for Apparating home. With well-hidden abomination she watched a green skull rise into the air. 

Back at Severus' house, she went straight to her room, locked the door, and fell in a dreamless, exhausted sleep before she could even take her clothes off. 

Rosier proudly reported to Lord Voldemort that the three new Death Eaters had fulfilled their task in a truly exemplary way. They could doubtlessly expect great things of them. 

The Daily Prophet wrote the next day that again the Dark Mark had been sighted, this time above a house in Shelton Village, South England. The dead bodies of the Henderson family had been found, all showing clear signs of being cruelly tortured. The article also mentioned in quite a tear-jerking manner the youngest daughter who would have started Hogwarts in autumn. 

* * *

When Serena awoke, the sun entered already the last third of her daily round across the sky. To tell from the bubbling and hissing noises that emerged from the basement, Severus was busy with potion making. Serena took the opportunity to leave the house unnoticed and Apparated to Moody. 

He was in an especially bad mood. When she arrived, he didn't waste any time on welcoming her or engaging in small talk but asked immediately, "You wouldn't happen to know the names of those Death Eaters who wreaked havoc in Shelton Village yesterday? Five dead people - if I get hold of these monsters, I'll make them regret that they've ever been born!" 

"Of course I know who did this. It was me," Serena said with a pleased smile, while she rummaged about her cloak, hunting for the Henderson dolls. 

"You what?" Moody stared at Serena, trying to decide if she had made an extraordinarily bad joke or simply lost her mind. 

"I was there, with Sev and Malfoy, and an old stager named Rosier to supervise us." Joy and relief that she had come through that evening unharmed sounded clearly in her voice. Placing the wooden dolls that were the Hendersons one by one on the floor, she related cheerfully, "It was our first task as new Death Eaters, our first task that involved murder. I was worried to no end, didn't know what to do - but then I had a brainwave. 

"It actually went better than I'd feared. It was straining, of course - have you ever cast a Bone Wrenching Curse? Sounds easy, but Crucio is a peanut compared to it. Anyway, I did what needed doing, and made Rosier pretty proud of us." 

Still smiling pleased with herself, she lowered the last figurine on the floor and took her wand out to transfigure them back. 

In that moment, Moody said in an intimidating tone that demanded instant obedience, "Serena, put your wand down. Slowly." 

Serena shook her head without taking her focused gaze away from the Hendersons. 

"It's okay, I know what I'm doing." 

She recalled every detail of Mr. Henderson Senior's appearance, preparing to bring him back first. 

"Put. Your. Wand. Down. Now!" 

Puzzled about Moody's insistence, Serena looked up. Startled by his angry face she let her wand instantly drop, any words of protest stuck in her throat. Moody had his wand trained at her and wore an expression of anger, distrust, and vigilance that she hadn't seen since he had killed a Death Eater to save her life. 

"And now explain yourself," he commanded. "Perhaps I may understand your decision to participate in murdering this family in order to retain your cover. But I doubt that you can give me a valid excuse as to why you seem so pleased about it." 

Sudden comprehension dawned on Serena's face. 

"Oh, you think -" She shook her head again, more profound this time. "I didn't kill anyone. On the contrary, I hit the jackpot - I saved their lives _and_ my cover. The Hendersons aren't dead." 

She pointed to the floor. 

Ignoring her gesture, Moody growled, "The Aurors found five dead bodies -" 

"- which were fake -" Serena cut in. 

"- and the remnants of a lot of illegal curses lingering in the air -" 

"- which I cast to make it seem real, but they hit no one -" 

"- and you said you made your bigwig proud of you -" 

"- proud of something that never happened." 

When Moody still refused to take his wand down, she gave him a detailed account of her actions, including an explanation as to why she had brought small, wooden dolls to his house and why she needed her wand back. 

"You transfigured them into dolls? That's illegal, you know." 

"But I had no time for long discussions. Dolls don't make trouble, and I could smuggle them out easily. Don't worry, I'll restore them as if they'd never been tampered with. Transfigurations was my best subject in school. But perhaps we should come to an agreement first as to what we'll do with them, once I've brought them back. No one must know that they're still alive, or I'm sunk. I think we should give them a new identity, have them start a new life somewhere else." 

Moody pondered the suggestion briefly and agreed with her. "Yes, this sounds reasonable. We should adjust their memories too, so that they think they have always been these other people, just to be on the safe side." 

"Could you do this when I'm gone? I don't want to know their new identities, in case I get caught. And, erm, can I rely on you to leave the Ministry out of it? Voldemort knows things that he can only have learned from Ministry members. I don't want to risk that one of his moles there gets wind of this." 

"I'll see to the Hendersons personally. I'm not that good with Memory Charms, but I don't doubt that Albus will lend me a helping hand there." Moody went over to the hearth to call Dumbledore via Floo. Before he reached for the pot of Floo Powder on the mantelpiece, he thoughtfully scratched his head, adding as an afterthought, "Well done, Serena." 

A smile about the unexpected praise spread over her face, but was overshadowed by another thought. "I can't believe you doubted me. After all I've done, all I've found out for you. Why this sudden loss of trust?" 

"You wouldn't be the first one to decide that it was better for their health to stop betraying the Dark Lord as long as he hasn't found out about the treason and start being loyal to him," Moody defended his former action. 

"And you think I'm such a turncoat?" 

He shrugged his shoulders. "You've got the Dark Mark now. No one knows what it's capable of, only that it's an extremely advanced piece of magic. I couldn't completely rule out the possibility that it had somehow influenced your mind. Particularly after you've told me about Bellatrix Lestrange, and that she's only making predictions about Voldemort and no one else since she's got the Dark Mark." 

"I'd say it influenced her magic. Divination is more dependent on your magical abilities than on your mindset. Anyway, I'm still the same Serena as before - or at least I think I am. At any rate I'm not lusting after murder." 

While Moody put his head into the flames and talked to Dumbledore, Serena transfigured the Hendersons back. It was quite a shock for them to sleep in their beds in one moment and find themselves in a strange house in the next. Ronald jumped at Serena's throat, trying to strangle her, as soon as he recognised her. The Muggle daughter resumed her screaming, this time without Serena preventing her from doing so, and agitated the rest of the family even more. Five strong Calming Spells later, cast from Albus Dumbledore, Serena gave a farewell to all of them and left. 

During the following weeks, Serena visited Moody more than a dozen times, always bringing him small, wooden figurines who started a new life with Dumbledore's help far away from their former homes. 

* * *

Time stretched like a rubber band. Brewing potions for the Dark Lord, killing Muggles and Mudbloods, and battling with Aurors who seemed to be better informed about Voldemort's plans than many a Death Eater followed each other in endless succession. Sometimes Severus wasn't sure if weeks, months, or years had passed since that terrible night when so much had changed. 

Only once he had tried to talk with Serena about their night together, but she had only repeated, "Forget it. It was a mistake. We're friends, nothing more." 

She hadn't mentioned Malfoy again, and he hadn't touched on what she called a mistake for a second time. Nevertheless, the damage was done, and things went downhill from that day on. 

Ever since Severus had seen them kissing in Voldemort's castle, he had become more vigilant, more aware of Serena's comings and goings. He had noticed that she quite often disappeared without telling him where she went. Severus had considered following her, and had even cast a well-hidden Locating Spell on her hair clasp. 

She still wore her hair in a ponytail on most days, and always used her favourite lynx-shaped clasp for holding it together. Because she knew the clasp was enchanted Serena most likely wouldn't examine the magic bound to it. So chances were pretty low that she would ever detect Severus' enhancement of the enchantment. 

But when he noticed her slipping away again and got ready to follow her, he wondered what he was supposed to gain from that? He knew already that she secretly dated Malfoy, and he could list at least a dozen things from the top of his head that were better than watching them having it off with each other. And so he stayed put, brooding over their dwindling friendship instead. 

Especially after they had killed, she regularly slinked off, apparently thinking he wouldn't notice or care. These night-time massacres seemed to turn her on; she downright brightened up when they reached their destination, taking immense pleasure in destroying so many lives. She hadn't been so happy since her last schoolday. 

Severus would never have considered himself as sensitive, but he hated those trips. He hated to see the faces of their victims distorted in agony, hated to hear their screams and pleas for mercy, hated to be the cause of their pain. And he hated that Serena enjoyed it, just as much as Malfoy and Rosier did. To his mind, it degraded her to the same level as them. 

Severus realised that he couldn't stand the cold, sadistic, malicious person that Serena became at these occasions. He made no secret of his dislike for her behaviour and their relations with each other had become frosty. They seldom talked to each other, and if they did, they mostly argued about trifling things. 

Like an old couple shortly before their divorce, Severus thought bitterly, tossing and turning in his cold, lonely bed. Only that they, unlike a normal couple, had missed out the phase of being happily in love entirely. Sleep evaded him regularly these days, or rather nights, and wistfully he thought back to the night in her bed. He had never had such a good sleep, and making love to Serena in a rather exhausting way had only partially been the reason. Her mere presence, the sweet scent of her sweaty body, had given him peace and calmness and had let him drift into Morpheus' arms with an ease unbeknownst to him. 

A low creaking noise startled him fully awake. He held his breath, listening intently. When he drew the conclusion that it had only been his imagination, he heard it again. Someone was sneaking down the stairs. The steps were old and jarred every time someone stepped on them. Since the noises were so quiet, it could only mean that it was someone who was well acquainted with the stairs and knew exactly where to tread to minimise the creaking. In all likelihood, Serena was going down to the kitchen and getting herself a little midnight-snack. 

Another creak, this time caused by a cautiously opened front door, refuted this theory. Severus grabbed his wand and slipped out of his bed, over to the window. 

In the silvery light of the almost full moon, he saw Serena stepping out of the Apparition barrier of his house. She took her wand out of her robe, preparing to Disapparate. 

It was not unusual for her to steal away in the middle of the night. The unwelcome image of Malfoy groping her velvet skin and eliciting moans of pleasure from her sprang to his mind, making sure that Severus wouldn't be able to find sleep soon. He cast another glimpse at her, expecting her to vanish any moment, and gasped in surprise. 

Serena held a shiny object in her left hand, and when it reflected the moonlight Severus recognised it. It had the shape of a palm-sized, five-pointed star. Severus' thoughts returned to the afternoon and Voldemort's office, where he had seen it for the first time. 

The Dark Lord had called Serena, Malfoy, and him to his room. No one was allowed to enter it unless the Dark Lord commanded them to do so. Severus had never been there before, and he had been fairly sure that this applied to Serena and Malfoy as well. 

With meticulously masked curiosity he had looked around. The room had been totally different from what he had expected. It had been nice, almost cosy. Although it was located deep down in the castle, it had been neither cold nor dank. The stone floor was covered with a thick, round rug and the walls were lined with artistically decorated, wooden panelling. There was even a large window that let in the sunlight, reducing the torches on the wall next to it to mere embellishment. Severus had wondered how such a window was possible so deep down below the surface; certainly there was magic involved. 

A number of shelves and bookcases, a huge desk, made of heavy, high polished oak wood, and a chair similar to the throne in the Assembly Hall were the only furniture. There existed no other seats; visitors had to stand or kneel respectfully. The desk was strewn with a litter of books, rolls of parchment and magical devices. A candleholder on the table held three candles that weren't burning any more than the torches. Two small statues on either side of the table had caught Severus' eye. The one on the left side, where Serena had stood, depicted a silvery snake that had wound itself around a human and was about to suffocate it. It was moving from time to time, adjusting its deadly grip on the man. On the other side, in front of Lucius, stood a small troll, who grimly bared his teeth and threateningly swung his tiny club. 

"You three have done a good job during the last weeks," the Dark Lord had said, rising from his seat. "Now I have a new task for you." 

He had touched the statue of the snake and a drawer had opened at the left side of the desk. It contained a couple of parchments and several, possibly magical objects. One of them had been the silvery star that Serena held now. 

Severus wondered how it had come into her possession. The Dark Lord hadn't given it to her; he had only taken a piece of parchment out of the drawer. He had carefully torn it in three parts of equal length. The first one he had handed over to Serena. But she hadn't grasped it properly and the sheet had landed on the carpet. While Voldemort had given the other two pieces to Severus and Malfoy, Serena had quickly bent down and picked it up. 

"You may have noticed the increasing number of occasions when our plans were foiled because the Ministry got wind of it and sent Aurors awaiting my Death Eaters. I won't tolerate this situation any longer. And as long as the source of their information isn't found and eliminated, I'll work on this problem in a different way." 

Touching the statue a second time, Voldemort had closed the drawer again. 

"On your parchments, you'll find a list with names of the most dangerous Aurors. You'll kill them, but don't make the mistake to handle them like you handled your other victims. They are fully trained, most powerful wizards. Just take their lifes, quick and dirty, preferably by a blow in their back." 

Lucius Malfoy had studied the names on his list and cast a sidelong glance at Serena, failing to contain a malicious grin. Curious as to what caused this sudden improvement of Malfoy's mood, Severus had taken a quick peek at Malfoy's list. The first name on it had been James Potter. If Serena knew that her brother was on Voldemort's blacklist, Severus had wondered. Would she care? Her family had disowned her, after all. She had been depressed at first, missing the contact to her parents and her brother. But she had never mentioned them again, and currently she seemed quite happy without them. 

There were four names on Severus' list. Two of them had been in Hogwarts with him, a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw, both four years ahead of him. The third name didn't ring any bells, but the last name made him gulp uncomfortably. Severus had never met Alastor Moody personally, but his reputation among the Death Eaters was legendary. He alone had probably hunted down more Death Eaters than the other three Aurors on Severus' list together. 

Serena had simply shrugged her shoulders and put the sheet in her robe. 

"I expect your reports of success in a week," Voldemort had said and dismissed him and Serena. Turning to Malfoy, he had added, "Lucius, there is another thing you will do for me." 

He and Serena had left, not waiting for Malfoy being dismissed as well. 

While Severus was still lost in his memories, Serena vanished under her Invisibility Cloak. An almost inaudible "Pop" indicated that she had Disapparated. 

Severus wondered what she possibly could do with the star. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to follow her. He didn't know where she had Apparated to, but this wasn't a problem, because she wore the magical equivalent of a beacon in her hair. He hastily donned his robes and pocketed his wand. Then he hurried out of the front door, concentrated on Serena's hair clasp, and Disapparated too. 

He was surprised when he didn't arrive at Malfoy Manor or at some other cosy place where couples used to meet in secret. Instead he found himself in Voldemort's castle. Everything was quiet and lay in darkness. Severus heard the soft tapping of feet on a flight of stairs and hurried to follow them. But no matter how carefully he listened, it was impossible to follow an invisible Serena who also did her best to not cause any sound. If it hadn't been for the hair clasp, he would have lost her. 

She finally stopped in front of the Dark Lord's room. Muttering a password, she opened the wooden door and slipped in. She closed the door behind her, but the slightly warped door didn't fall into the lock and stayed open. 

Severus became more and more worried. Whatever she did, she risked her life with it. Why would she burgle the Dark Lord? He stepped closer and peered through the crack of the door. 

The moon shone through the window, bathing the room in cold, dim white light, hardly enough to get one's bearings. Serena had dropped her Invisibility Cloak; he could see the softly shimmering fabric right behind the door. She walked around the desk and turned towards the back wall of the room. Tapping her wand against a wooden panel, she muttered, " _Aperio_!" 

Nothing happened. Serena waited a second, and then proceeded to the next panel. At her fourth try she got a reaction. A five-pointed-star-shaped hole appeared in the panel and Serena pressed the silver star into it. The panel swung aside and revealed a secret compartment. After putting her wand down, Serena reached with both hands into it. 

Suddenly the candles and torches flared up, illuminating the room. Lucius Malfoy and Lord Voldemort appeared. Serena spun around, holding a stone basin in her hands. Severus knew at once what it was; he had seen pictures of Pensieves in books. Taking into account where she had taken it from, it could only belong to Lord Voldemort. Severus froze. Serena had attempted to steal a Pensieve from the Dark Lord! Could you try anything more stupid? The Dark Lord had already killed loyal followers for less. 

With a start, Severus realized that his life wouldn't be worth a penny either if he was discovered here. He looked at the Invisibility Cloak, that neither Voldemort nor Malfoy had spotted yet as they were focused on Serena. 

Lord Voldemort slowly shook his head. "Serena, Serena," he began in a low tone that expressed his current anger in a more disturbing way than the loudest shouting could have done. His red eyes glowed menacingly. "I'm very disappointed in you. You are so talented; I had great expectations of you. But what are you using your skills for? To steal from me." 

As softly as possible, Severus muttered, " _Accio Invisibility Cloak_!" but the cloak didn't react. Silently cursing, Severus used his wand as an extension of his hand to reach through the crack of the door and pull the cloak out of the room. 

Fortunately, no one inside noticed him while Voldemort continued, "Imagine my surprise when I wanted to add Lucius' memories to the Pensieve and found it inaccessible because the key was missing. Did you really believe I wouldn't notice the disappearance of such an important item? Didn't you reckon I would take extra precautions to protect that which the key unlocks?" 

Quickly, Serverus covered himself with the cloak, letting out a deep breath of relief when he became invisible. He resumed his position at the door and saw that Serena's face had become ashen. 

Lord Voldemort said, "I put additional alarms on the compartment and waited for the thief to return. And there you are, showing no respect for my belongings. Of course I will have to kill you for this impertinence." 

Serena stood rooted to the spot, thunderstruck. Her lips formed a thin red line in her pale face, and her eyes were opened wide. She seemed wanting to say something, but then she suddenly let the Pensieve drop and turned around quickly. Her hand darted toward the compartment, reaching for her wand that she had laid down in order to free both hands so she could grasp the Pensieve. 

But she was far from being fast enough to actually draw her wand. Before she could even touch it, Malfoy shouted " _Expelliarmus_!" and her wand flew into his outstretched hand. 

The Pensieve smashed to smithereens when it hit the stone floor, narrowly missing the carpet. Dark misty clouds from the interior of the basin began to drift across the floor, gradually dissolving into thin air. 

Voldemort cast a Cruciatus Curse at her. A cold shiver ran down Severus' spine. He had been lucky so far and avoided being the subject of the Dark Lord's anger. But he had watched other, less lucky Death Eaters and many of their victims writhe in agony. 

Serena collapsed on the floor, doubling up with pain. She pressed her teeth shut, apparently determined to not give the Dark Lord the satisfaction of hearing her scream. But she lost the fight after mere seconds. Severus covered his ears with his hands and looked away, but he could still hear her piercing shrieks. 

After an eternally long minute, Voldemort finally cancelled the curse. The yelling died away, and for another minute Serena just lay on the floor, panting hard. Her face was still twisted with pain, but she looked also a bit surprised to find her body still in one piece. When she spit something seemingly ill-tasting out, it formed a red stain on the carpet. 

"There is one thing I want to know before you die," Lord Voldemort spoke again, his voice cold as ice. "Why? Why did you betray me? Are you the one who is slipping my plans to the Ministry?" 

Serena met his red, piercing eyes. Despite the clear signs of the painful aftermath of the curse, she managed to look wilful, as if she had already accepted that she would die now, and didn't fear the Dark Lord anymore. No words passed her lips, which were demonstratively pressed together. 

The red in Voldemort's eyes became more intense when he realised that she wouldn't answer. "So," he said full of contempt, "we are being difficult, aren't we? You know, I could torture you with the Cruciatus Curse until you beg me to let you answer my questions." 

He waited a few seconds to let his words sink in. When Serena didn't show any reaction, he continued, "But it seems as if this would take a while. I don't wish to waste my time with you. Fortunately there are other, faster methods to loosen your tongue." 

Without looking away from Serena, he ordered, "Lucius, bring me the Veritaserum." 

"Yes, Master," Malfoy answered subserviently and turned to a shelf that was filled with various bottles, vials, and jars. He took a small vial that contained a clear liquid and handed it to his master. 

"Open your mouth!" Lord Voldemort commanded. 

When she didn't obey his order immediately, Malfoy roughly grabbed her ponytail, yanking her head back, and sunk his fingers into her cheeks, forcing her jaw open. Voldemort let a few drops of the serum trickle into her mouth and then waited for the potion to take its effect. 

"And now tell me why you betrayed me!" 

Serena gnashed her teeth in anger, trying to force her mouth shut, but in the end no one could resist Veritaserum. Not if it was of best quality, and this serum was. Severus knew it; he had brewed it, after all. 

Unwillingly, she gave away, "You probably know better than anyone else how many of your plans have recently failed due to treason. You don't tolerate your followers' failures, so why should we tolerate your continued failure in finding the mole? I think it's time for you to give way to someone else who's more capable of solving this problem." 

Severus held his breath. Nobody dared speaking to the Dark Lord in this tone. But then, he would kill her, so she had nothing to lose. And because of the Veritaserum she couldn't help what she said anyway. 

"And you think you are more capable than I? You actually believed you could take my place?" Voldemort laughed when Serena nodded, but it didn't sound amused; it was cold and spiteful and sent chilly shivers down Severus' back. "Why would you need my Pensieve for this ill-conceived fantasy?" 

"I hoped to find a way to dispose of you." With an angry frown, Serena bit her lower lip. 

"Not a stupid idea," the Dark Lord assented. "Looking into my Pensieve, I mean, not trying to replace me. Perhaps I should thank you for destroying this thing; it contained indeed very sensitive information that I couldn't afford to fall into the wrong hands." 

Voldemort looked at the pieces of the stone basin, which still were littered about the floor. A muttered spell later they were gone. 

"How did you get the key?" Lord Voldemort continued his interrogation. 

"I stole it this afternoon. You gave us the lists, and I dropped my piece. When I bent down to pick it up, I nicked the key off the drawer while you were busy giving the other pieces to Snape and Malfoy." 

"I really should not rely so much on my servants being too intimidated to not try stupid things behind my back," Voldemort muttered, more to himself than Serena. Louder, he continued, "It seems as if I have been a bit lax in my treatment of my followers recently. I will make an example of you to remind the others that I'm not one to cross. You will be punished for your betrayal, but not you alone. If there should be a life after death, you will spend eternity with the knowledge that you caused the extinction of your whole family. I won't rest until all Potters have paid for your disloyalty!" 

The Dark Lord drew his wand again and pointed it at Serena. In expectation of a green flash Severus felt the sudden urge to storm into the office and save her from certain death. But how should he rescue her without forfeiting his own life? And why? Malfoy, who should have much more reason to help her, was right next to her, and he did nothing. 

Lord Voldemort didn't use the Killing Curse, though. Another Cruciatus flooded Serena's body, making her write in pain and yell her head off. Voldemort and Malfoy stood by and watched, unmoved. Only after ten minutes, when Serena lost her consciousness and didn't stir anymore, the Dark Lord lifted the curse. 

"Lucius, lock her up in one of the dungeons," he told Malfoy. "Tomorrow, I will summon all Death Eaters and give them a memorable demonstration of how I handle traitors." 

With these words he Disapparated. Malfoy grasped the collar of Serena's cloak and dragged her across the floor towards the door. Severus quickly moved a couple of steps away. Of course Malfoy couldn't see him under the Invisibility Cloak, but Severus didn't want to risk a collision. The cloak only made him invisible, not incorporeal. 

Outside, Malfoy let go of Serena's collar and closed the wooden door. Again, it didn't fall into the lock and opened slightly. He pulled it shut with more vehemence until it locked properly. Then he levitated Serena's limp body and set off towards the dungeons. 

Severus stealthily tagged along. He still couldn't take in what he had heard and seen. Serena wanted to overturn the Dark Lord? Had she become megalomaniac? If only she had told him about her plan. He would have talked her out of this idiocy. But wouldn't he have been obliged to report her to the Dark Lord then? Which would certainly have resulted in her execution as well. 

While he followed Malfoy, two voices in his mind kept yelling at each other, _'She isn't that stupid, it had to be a lie!'_ and _'She couldn't lie, she was under Veritaserum!'_

After following a number of corridors and stairs, Malfoy reached an empty prison cell and steered Serena inside. He didn't bother to lay her down on the cot in the far corner, but dropped her unceremoniously on the cold stone floor. 

With an insinuating glance at her he muttered, "Too bad that I have to leave now. But I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The Dark Lord certainly won't begrudge us a little fun with you before he'll finish you off." Grinning, he locked the door and left. 

When Malfoy was gone, Severus walked to the door and touched the lock. Malfoy's behaviour riled him, but it wasn't surprising. Serena's plight didn't seem to trouble him at all. His only interest in her was how she could contribute to his own pleasure. Again, Severus wondered how she could have got herself involved with such a scumbag; she had to be aware of his rotten character. 

Severus found his hand still lying on the lock. What was he doing here? Serena had deceived the Dark Lord, and tomorrow she would get her appropriate punishment. But was it appropriate? Did she deserve to die? And in such a way? He wouldn't have spent a second thought on these questions if it had been someone else. But it was Serena, and the thought about her death unsettled him. And he was unsettled that it unsettled him. 

He muttered a spell to open the prison cell and entered it. Thoughtfully, he looked at the motionless body. Serena was still unconscious, and would certainly stay that way for a while. Maybe she was lucky and wouldn't awake again. Then she would miss out on the cruel maltreatment that she would have to endure from the other Death Eaters. Yet this thought bore little comfort for him. 

He bent down and felt her pulse. It was weak but steady. He picked her up and carried her out. After carefully locking the door and making sure that they were both completely covered by the Invisibility Cloak, he Disapparated with Serena in his arms. 

For lack of a better plan he brought her to London. They rematerialised in a dark street, only insufficiently lit by street lamps here and there. The large, red-brick building in front of Severus was plastered with signs that read 'Closed for Refurbishment'. But Severus knew that this was more than a dusty, deserted department store. This was St. Mungo's, the wizard hospital, and the repulsive façade was only a disguise to divert Muggles. Here, Serena would get the nursing she needed and should be safe from the Dark Lord, at least for the moment. 

He sat her down on the pavement, resting her back against the wall right next to the concealed entrance to the hospital. Hoping that sooner or later someone would use the entrance instead of Apparating directly inside, Severus took a step back, so that Serena became visible. He crossed the street and watched her from afar. 

A few minutes later a young woman left the building, suddenly appearing on the street in front of the window next to Serena. She looked weary; she was most likely a nurse on her way home after a long, exhausting working day. Noticing the motionless body, she bent down to check Serena's condition. One moment later the nurse conjured a hovering stretcher. She levitated Serena on it, and the both of them disappeared into the hidden entrance.


	14. The Jinxed Bludger

_(October 1995)_

As she had promised, Serena saw Jon, Harry, Ron, and Hermione into her office as soon as Madam Pomfrey had mended her hand and confirmed that Jon was unharmed. She conjured enough armchairs and tea to accommodate all of them and sat down. A bit reluctant at first, but increasingly more fluent, she told them about Moody's offer, her acceptance, and her actual work as spy. Serena didn't waste time on telling the official version of her story, which stretched the truth tremendously and didn't mention the spying part at all. 

When she finished, there was a long moment of silence, while everyone digested what they had heard. 

"But one thing I don't understand," Harry wondered. "Why do you make such a secret of it? Why do you let people believe you'd been a true Death Eater? I mean, even Voldemort knows that you're not his follower. So why hide it from others?" 

"Even Lord Voldemort doesn't know the entire truth. He knows that I was unfaithful to him, but he doesn't know that I was the one who fed loads of sensitive information to the Ministry. In all likelihood, he doesn't even suspect it because after I left Sev...erus Snape took over, so it seemed to Voldemort as if the leak had never been stopped. And not telling anyone anything different is the only way to ensure that it stays that way." 

Harry shook his head, not fully satisfied with the answer. "So he doesn't know you've been working for the Ministry. But what difference would it make if he knew? He hates you anyway, and he's already after our family. What does it matter why he wants to kill us? It couldn't become worse than it already is." 

"Wrong, Harry. It could become worse, and it would. Lord Voldemort would be after other people. People he doesn't yet know are still alive." 

"These families you saved and gave new identities to?" Hermione guessed. 

Serena nodded. "Exactly. And not only because they'd once managed to escape him. You must know when I was in school, there was a girl in Slytherin who was the most talented seer I've ever met. Her predictions were awfully cryptic, but nevertheless correct. Of course Lord Voldemort was very interested in her, and she became a Death Eater right out of Hogwarts." 

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Harry said. 

Serena cast him an astounded look. "Yes. I'm surprised that you know her; she was put in Azkaban shortly after Lord Voldemort's downfall. Well, I think, he made a mistake there, but he gave her the Dark Mark as soon as she had sworn her loyalty to him. From that day on she only made predictions that concerned him. I suppose the Mark somehow influenced her magic. Although maybe it wasn't a mistake, but intended." She shrugged her shoulders. 

"In any case, during one of our Death Eater meetings she suddenly grew rigid and started to speak in this strange voice, at least an octave deeper than her normal voice, and made a prophecy about Lord Voldemort's possible defeat. Her husband, who was used to such occurrences, instantly took out a notebook and wrote down what she said. A few days later I was able to secretly copy that page, and I showed the prophecy to Moody and Dumbledore." 

Hermione, who had been restlessly shifting in her chair ever since Harry had mentioned Bellatrix Lestrange, burst out, "You're talking about this prediction about the Darkness, the Sun, and the Flash, aren't you?" 

Baffled, Serena stared at the girl in front of her, then looked at the others' faces and said, sounding miffed, but with a blithe sparkle in her eyes, "I wonder why you keep pestering me if you already know everything." 

"This was just an accident," Jon said in defence of his friends. "I found a parchment with the prophecy in my cauldron, that day when you slapped Snape. I forgot it, but this afternoon I found it again in my robe and we discussed it, posing some theories about its meaning." 

"So _you_ had it. And I was everywhere looking for it, thinking that perhaps Snape had taken it." She pulled a wry face. "I was already on the brink of storming into his office and demanding it back. Thanks for saving me from making an utter fool of myself in front of that git... Erm, you didn't hear me call another professor _git_ , all right? - Jon, you don't happen to have it with you and could give it back to me, do you?" 

"Oh, yeah, of course," Jon answered. "I'd forgotten that again." He rummaged about his pockets and produced a dog-eared, slightly crumpled piece of parchment. 

Serena took it and magically straightened the document. With a mock scowl, she said, "Thank you, especially for keeping it so neat." 

"I'm sorry," Jon said. "So what does it mean?" 

"What do you think? You said something about posing theories." 

Hermione gave a shortened version of their conversation in the Three Broomsticks, and their theory that Voldemort was the Darkness, and Harry was the Flash. 

Serena nodded appreciatively. "That's very clever, and about the same lines as we thought," she commented. 

Ron, who hadn't said much so far, cut in, "But I don't understand what it has to do with those people you saved." 

"Oh, everything. One of them is most likely the Sun," Serena answered. Meeting only uncomprehending gazes, she explained, "Albus Dumbledore came up with this idea, and it's so convincing, I'm almost sure that he's right. The prophecy says that the Sun will be killed, but also that it'll help Harry to defeat Lord Voldemort. So he or she can't be dead after the first kill, and this applies to all of my _victims_ \- for the rest of the world they have died, not without suffering a considerable amount of torture and pain. But since they are still alive, they could very well help Harry. If Lord Voldemort knew this, he would certainly come to the same conclusion, and he would do everything in his power to find and kill them - and, according to the prophecy, he would then win." 

An alarm clock in the shape of a red parrot suddenly hopped excitedly along the mantelpiece, shrieking 'Kraa! It's dinnertime! Dinnertime, kraa!" 

"Shut up, I'm not deaf!" Serena shouted back. 

With a huffy glimpse at her, the parrot-clock sat down again and maintained a sullen silence. 

When Serena noticed the amused looks with which her visitors regarded the parrot, she said apologetically, "I know, it's ugly and awfully loud, but it's practical, and it's the only thing I still have from Jim. You probably know that most thirteen-year-old boys couldn't select a tasteful present if their life depended on it. It was the same with Jim, and so I got this parrot from him one Christmas." She grinned dreamily at the memory. "But I got my revenge, gave him a flowerpot inhabited by an artificial sunflower a few months later. It took him a whole week to stop it from singing 'Happy Birthday' all the time." 

She heaved a nostalgic sigh. "Yeah, this was fun... However, that varmint's right, it's dinnertime and you don't want to miss the Halloween feast, do you? Let's go then." 

Before Harry could object, she added, "If you have further questions, you can always come and ask them. Now that I've told you so much, I suppose there's no use in not telling you more. But remember, do not, under any circumstances, discuss any of this with anyone else. What you've heard in this room, stays in this room, okay?" 

* * *

When November began, the weather became worse every day. Rain and cold, sometimes frost and hail, made the days meteorological nightmares. The new Quidditch season began in the middle of November, with Slytherin vs. Gryffindor as the first match on the schedule, and, due to the weather, both teams were more often than not forced to cancel their training sessions. 

Severus picked at his breakfast, not really hungry after a particularly bad night. Sleep had evaded him because his thoughts had revolved around the upcoming match. The abysmal weather had made it difficult to have proper Quidditch training. Without proper training, it was difficult to prepare suitably for the match. Not only that, but since the Gryffindors couldn't have extensive training sessions either, the Slytherin team didn't have a chance to get reliable information about Weasley's qualities as Keeper. They didn't deem Weasley as good as Wood had been, and Severus sincerely hoped that Slytherin wouldn't experience an unpleasant surprise. 

Since he hadn't been able to find sleep, he had done what he always did when this happened: he went prowling the corridors of Hogwarts. Sometimes he caught students who were out of their dormitories after hours. The satisfaction of catching them and significantly reducing the score of their House points usually gave him the inner peace that he needed to finally fall asleep. 

But this night he hadn't caught any students. Worse, he was sure that he had heard something, but hadn't been able to track the source down. On a walk round the grounds he had heard a soft rattling noise, as if someone had bumped into a shelf and had shaken its contents. The sound had come from the broom shed down at the Quidditch pitch. Severus had burst into the shed, hoping that it would be Potter, preferably both of them, and he could get them expelled, but the shed had been dark and empty. He had checked thoroughly, but nothing had seemed amiss. In a worse temper than when he had started prowling, he had returned to his quarters and taken a sleeping draught to get some rest. But frequent use of the draught had accustomed his body to it, to the extent that it could only make him sleep for two or three hours, and he had awoken again long before sunrise. 

The weather on the day of the Quidditch match was magnificent in comparison with the past days. As if it wanted to watch the game too, the sun pushed away the dark rain clouds that had dominated the sky for more than a week. It laughed merrily in Severus' face, as if to spite his ill mood. The game went without unpleasant surprises. Weasley was decent, but not outstanding, and Slytherin scored a good number of points, taking over the lead. Severus' hopes for a Slytherin's victory were smashed, though, when Potter caught the snitch, a fraction of a second before Draco Malfoy could close his hand around the tiny, golden ball. 

The spectators' stands - except the ranks of Slytherin - exploded in applause and cheering. Everyone pressed down to the pitch to congratulate the Gryffindor team. And no one noticed, at first, what was happening above them. 

Not having seen a Quidditch match in years, Serena had taken a seat at the very top of the professors' stands so as not to miss a thing. She had even put up with the fact that the only free seat there was next to Severus. She ignored him, as had become usual since their dispute in her office. 

The buoyant spirits among the students didn't fail to communicate itself to several professors, including Serena. It served not only to stir up her good mood but also her mischievousness. More than once she cheered for Gryffindor, casting an impish glance at Severus as if daring him to comment on her behaviour. He pretended to not notice it, keeping his trademark scowl firmly in place. 

When Harry caught the snitch, she jumped up like the students, rejoicing. Instead of being scared off by Severus' grouchy expression, Serena flung her arms at his shoulders, jumping up and down, and shouted cheerfully at him, "We won! Yeah! We won! Did you see that? How Harry snatched the snitch directly from Malfoy's nose? Wasn't that great? - Oh, I'm so sorry for your team." Her giggles told him clearly that she didn't feel sorry at all. 

Severus asked sourly, " _We_ won? If I'm not completely mistaken, you were a Slytherin once. When did you start to fraternise with Gryffindor?" 

Arching an eyebrow to express his disapproval, he picked her hands from his shoulders and held her as far away from him as he could. This wasn't easy; he continually lost his grip on her wrists because she still jumped up and down like a rubber ball. She laughed joyously as she had done in their Hogwarts days when Slytherin had won a match. For a moment Severus had the eerie impression that time had turned back and they were students, and friends, again. It had been similar then: she had rejoiced in much the same manner as now, and he had graciously teased her about her childish behaviour. 

But the flashback lasted only a moment; in the next something black, hard, and heavy hit the side of Serena's face with full force. She was violently hurled against the back of the stand. Stumbling, she tried to get a grip on the banisters, but missed the railing and plunged into the depths. Surprised, she let out a short shriek that was cut short by her impact on the ground about thirty feet below. She ended up lying there on her back, motionless. 

Severus was instantly hauled back to reality. Without a second thought he jumped after her, casting the strongest Cushioning Charm he could muster below himself. Landing safely beside her, he discerned with relief that she was still alive. A red trickle emerged from an injury at the back of her head, feeding a slowly growing puddle of blood. Her eyes were open, but aimed at no particular spot in the sky and slowly misting over. 

"Serena! Can your hear me?" 

Severus briefly squeezed her shoulder. The mist in Serena's eyes vanished. "I... can't move," she whispered. Blinking away the returning mist, she stared again into the sky. "The Bludger... comes back." 

Severus looked up. The black thing that had hit Serena had indeed been a Bludger, and it was racing at her again. Severus grabbed Serena under her arms and cautiously pulled her away from the spot where the Bludger would hit the ground, but it instantly adjusted its course. It was definitely aiming for her head, and Severus knew it would seriously fracture, if not shatter, her skull if it hit its target. 

If he only had a club or something to fend it off, he thought. But it was already too late to fret about it or to think of something else; the Bludger was already dangerously close. 

For lack of a bat Severus raised his arm and lashed out at the ball with his fist. And he hit! The Bludger steeply rose into the air again. 

The second his arm hit it, Severus heard a cracking sound and felt a jolt of pain shooting through his arm, starting in his fingertips and spreading up to his shoulder, extending even into his chest. He tried to ignore the agony and aimed his wand at the black ball, grateful for his presence of mind not to use his wand arm as club. He cast every spell, curse, and hex at the Bludger that he could think of, but it didn't affect the ball at all. Everything simply bounced off, and the third attack unrelentingly continued. 

Severus' mind reeled. This resistance to any magical influence wasn't normal for a Bludger, any more than the fact that it was fixated on Serena's head. What now? He could beat it off with his other arm, but what then? Perhaps it wouldn't end its attacks until Serena was dead. He had to stop it, but how? Catch the ball and hold on to it until help arrived? Severus had never developed a liking for playing Quidditch, let alone being good at it. And he had only one arm that he could fully use. But the quickly approaching Bludger didn't give him time to do more thinking. 

Severus stepped in front of Serena; if the ball wanted her, it had to get past him first. The Bludger hit him squarely in the chest. Its force made him stumble, almost knocked him over. Severus felt a new wave of pain shooting through his body when one of his ribs yielded to the pressure. But he only paid attention to the Bludger. Gathering his arms around it, he threw himself to the ground and trapped his catch underneath his body. The injured arm throbbed and burned like fire. Severus had to muster all his willpower in order to resist the tempting painlessness of a faint. He had the Bludger! Now, he just needed to hold out until help arrived. The Bludger shook and jerked, pressing painfully against Severus' sore ribcage, but Severus had only one thought: he had to prevent the ball from getting free because he was sure he wouldn't be able to catch it a second time. 

Suddenly he heard Serena's voice. It was quiet, only a croaking whisper. 

"Sev... Sev, please, you must promise me something... If I die, please..." Severus couldn't understand the rest because Serena's voice had become lower and lower. 

"What? I can't hear you; could you speak louder?" The bucking Bludger didn't help his hearing at all. 

Serena took a deep breath and repeated her last sentence, still merely whispering. Severus froze. Then, deciding that he must have misunderstood her, he said again, "Serena, I can't hear you. What did you say?" 

But she didn't answer any more. 

The Bludger still tried to free itself from Severus' clutch. Severus wondered why nobody came to help him. There had been so many people at the Quidditch pitch, someone must have noticed what had happened. He had the impression as if he had been fighting with the Bludger for hours, but it had actually been only a little more than a minute. 

And help was already on the way. Members of the Quidditch teams were the first to arrive, jumping off their brooms at the moment when Serena passed out. They helped Severus to keep the Bludger at bay. With their combined efforts, they were finally able to relieve Severus of his burden and securely lock the Bludger up in the ball box. 

_'I'm so tired of always saving your skin, Serena,'_ was Severus' last coherent thought before he succumbed to the overwhelming pain and everything went black around him. 

* * *

" _Ennervate_!" 

Severus felt like he was waking from a nightmare. He took a deep breath and regretted it immediately. Stinging pain flooded his chest, proving that it hadn't only been a dream. Cautiously, he exhaled again and opened his eyes. 

The white ceiling above him belonged to the infirmary, as did the bed with the metal frame and the sterile, white sheets. The curtain around his bed was sterile and white as well. The only things that weren't sterile and white were the concerned looking faces of Madam Pomfrey, Albus Dumbledore, and Minerva McGonagall. 

"You should move as little as possible. You've got three broken ribs and a complicated fracture in your right arm. I did what I could to repair the damage, but it'll still take a while before the joints grow hard and stable again. You'll stay overnight in the infirmary, no discussion," the mediwitch rattled off like a machine-gun as soon as he had shown a sign of being awake. 

Severus suppressed a groan of pain. He certainly wouldn't try to move, if a single breath had already hurt so much. 

Pomfrey held a shot glass containing a murky green potion to his lips, urging him to drink it. "This'll ease your pain," she explained. Turning to the headmaster, she added, "You have ten minutes, he needs rest," before sweeping out of the room. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat and Severus shifted the focus of his gaze from the receding matron to the headmaster. 

"How are you, Severus?" Dumbledore asked gently. "Do you feel up to giving us a report about what happened?" 

Severus inclined his head as sign that he did. The pain-relieving potion began to take its effect and he was able to breathe normally again. Recalling the details of the longest minute of his life, he gave an account of the sudden attack on Serena and his efforts to protect her. 

"... and then Quidditch players arrived and locked that jinxed Bludger away. It must have been jinxed; it was definitely set to attack only Serena - how is she, by the way?" 

Severus tried not to sound too interested, even if this question had occupied his mind since he had been woken up. 

Minerva heaved a heavy sigh. "She's gone into a coma. She was hurt badly in the fall - a concussion, internal bleedings, and more broken bones than I can name. Poppy can't give her any healing potions as long as she's unconscious and not able to swallow them. So she's confined to healing spells, which are only half as effective. Serena's backbone also seems cracked; whether this will have dire consequences for her mobility can only be determined when she wakes up. _If_ she wakes up." 

"Poppy thinks that her chances for a complete recovery would be much better in St. Mungos, but she's wary of moving Serena to any extent," Dumbledore added gravely. 

Severus didn't comment on this bad news, afraid that it could give away his concern. "I'm almost positive that this attack was done at the Dark Lord's bidding," he said instead. "The hexing was nothing that any of the students here could have accomplished, not even the most talented ones. None of my counter-spells could stop or even deflect the Bludger." 

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "You're right, my examinations of the ball confirmed that it must have been an expert who had tampered with it. A Dark Arts expert, to be precise." 

Severus remembered the last night, when he had been sure he heard something coming from the broom shed, but hadn't found anyone. He informed the headmaster of it. 

Dumbledore's expression grew even more serious. "I should increase our security measures. I will extend the protective charms that don't let anyone enter the castle without being invited to the entire Hogwarts grounds. And I should modify our new Portkey barrier to avert not only unofficial Portkeys, but official ones as well as long as they are not explicitly marked as valid by a staff member. Just in case a Portkey gets stolen." 

"A Polyjuice detector to prevent people from being fooled into asking someone in who isn't what he or she seems to be would also be advisable," McGonagall suggested. 

"This is a good idea," Dumbledore assented. 

"Well, time's up," Madam Pomfrey butted in, entering the room exactly ten minutes after she had left it. "Out now." 

She resolutely steered Dumbledore and McGonagall out of the infirmary. When she returned, she gave Severus a Sleeping Draught, not accepting any protest and watching like a hawk to see if he really drank it. As he handed her the empty beaker back, his eyes fell shut and he sank into a deep sleep. 

* * *

Jon stood in front of the entrance to the infirmary, pondering how he could get past the watchful, seemingly all-seeing Madam Pomfrey. The staunch matron had allowed him to sit at his mum's sickbed until curfew drew close. Then she had sent him away, insisting that he had to spend the night in his dormitory, just as every other student. But Jon didn't want to leave his mum alone. The Bludger had attacked her, again and again. Normal Bludgers didn't do that. Someone must have jinxed it, with the full intention to kill her. And since it had failed, the person behind the attack would certainly attempt something else. Jon didn't want to return to Gryffindor Tower while his mum was in grave danger, unable to defend herself. He wanted to be near her, to be there in case something happened. 

"Hey, you're still here," Harry interrupted Jon's ponderings, leaving the stairs leading to the Hospital Wing. "I thought as much, and I've brought something that could help you." He held a piece of folded, silvery shining fabric out to Jon. When Jon unfolded it, it turned out to be a cloak. 

"Oh, an Invisibility Cloak," Jon said, pleased. He smiled; this was exactly what he needed. 

Harry cast Jon a surprised glance. "You know what this is? Have you seen one before?" 

"No, but Mum's told me about them. She used to have an identical one. This one belonged to your father once, didn't it?" 

"Yes, it did. How did you know that? Did Serena tell you?" 

Jon nodded. "She and James got these cloaks from their parents as a reward for their good O.W.L. results." 

"What happened to Serena's cloak?" Harry asked curiously, but Jon only shrugged his shoulders. 

"Dunno. But she doesn't have it any more. I could ask her what happened to it, though, once she wakes up." 

"Okay. For now, we can use my cloak to sneak past Madam Pomfrey and into Serena's room. I drew the curtains of our beds in Gryffindor Tower shut, so if anyone asks, Ron and Hermione can say that we've gone to sleep early." 

"Thanks, Harry! But you don't have to come with me; I'd wanted to stay all night." 

"That's all right. If someone really attempts to finish what he's begun, it's certainly better if two are there instead of one." 

* * *

When Severus awoke, it was pitch black outside the window. His inner clock told him that it was about midnight. The Sleeping Draught hadn't lasted long, as per usual. But at least he didn't feel pain anymore. In the morning he could leave the infirmary and spend the next night in his own bed again, unlike Serena. 

He cursed silently. His thoughts revolved constantly around her. Whatever he tried, his mind always returned to her. There had been a time when they had been friends, and he hadn't minded thinking of her all day long. He had even developed a crush on her. But this was a thing of the past. 

She had changed, turned into a monster. Or maybe she hadn't changed, but finally shown her true face. Whatever the reason, she had taken immense pleasure in torturing and murdering people, and she hadn't bothered to hide it. Severus had begun to detest her. 

When Serena had come to Hogwarts to teach, many a professor had protested because of her past. But Dumbledore had told them that she had never been a true Death Eater, but a spy for the Ministry. This had appeased the others, but not him. Severus had been shocked; he had always believed he knew her and yet her double life had escaped his notice completely. If she had been able to deceive him, the one who had been closest to her, she could deceive whomever she pleased. She might have been a spy, but she had always pursued her own objectives. He had heard it with his own ears when she had admitted it under Veritaserum. Ministry spy - this had only been another way out that she had left herself. And somehow it had worked. 

But even if she was no longer the Serena who had been his closest friend, even if he was convinced that Dumbledore had made a mistake in hiring her as Defence professor, even if he profoundly distrusted her - there was still a part of him that stubbornly refused to stop loving her. It had been this part that had made him save her life without thinking, now for the second time. And it was this part that seemed to become knotted in his stomach at the thought that she could die at this very moment. 

In the past fourteen years, he had managed, if not to forget her, then at least to banish her into a far corner of his mind. But as soon as she had returned to Hogwarts, his entire thinking was again filled with Serena, Serena, Serena. 

The fact that she had a son didn't help it at all. Even if he didn't like to admit it, he had been jealous as hell of Lucius Malfoy. And each time he saw the boy, it reminded him that she had given someone else what she hadn't been willing to give to him. 

What Serena had mumbled before she had passed out, however, turned his world upside down, inside out, and back to front, especially if she didn't recover. If he had understood her correctly. If she had not only been delirious. If it was indeed true. If, if, if... 

He sighed, frustrated. Throwing back his blanket, he left the bed. Severus knew that he wouldn't be able to find sleep again before he had checked on Serena's state. Since he was alone, he assumed that she was in the other room right next to Pomfrey's office, where the matron put more seriously injured patients that needed special attention. 

Opening the door to the corridor, he heard Pomfrey speaking softly. A glimpse through the crack of the door revealed that she was in her office, talking to Dumbledore. The door to her office was wide open, but even had it been closed, a large window ensured that she could always see from her office what was going on outside on the corridor. Hoping that her conversation with the headmaster would distract her enough, Severus attempted to sneak past her office. 

His hopes were shattered almost instantly. A firm voice that suffered no objection snarled, "Stop! Professor Snape, you'll go back into bed immediately! That's all I need - patients wandering about the infirmary in the middle of the night!" Pomfrey left her office to see him back to his bed. 

Severus cast her a venomous glance. He had followed her orders earlier on because he had felt too weak to protest. But he was Severus Snape and no one in Hogwarts save Dumbledore could boss him around and expect him to obey. 

"I won't go anywhere just because you tell me so. I'll look after Serena. Try and stop me, if you dare." 

His murderous expression and the threatening voice had the intended effect. Pomfrey was currently in no mood to pick an argument with a particularly ill-tempered Potions Master. 

"Very well," she grumbled, "go to her, but don't you disturb her! And don't complain about new pain tomorrow." 

She tossed her head and stalked back to her office. When Severus continued on his way he heard Dumbledore say, "Wait, Severus, I will come with you. I would like to take a look at Serena too before I leave." 

* * *

Jon and Harry sat silently beside Serena's bed, each of them lost in their own thoughts, when they heard voices at the corridor that talked about seeing her. 

Jon jumped up, darting glances around for an escape route. Harry unfolded the Invisibility Cloak, gesturing Jon to hide beneath it, when they recognised Dumbledore's voice. 

"I'm nearly sure that Professor Dumbledore can see through the Invisibility Cloak," Harry whispered nervously. 

Jon flitted over to the next bed and drew the white curtain around. They had hardly sat down on the bed and Harry had thrown the cloak over them for good measure when the door opened. The soft clicking of Dumbledore's high-heeled, buckled boots and nearly inaudible steps of feet in slippers approached Serena's bed. 

Professor Dumbledore and the second visitor sat down in the chairs that had been occupied by Harry and Jon just a minute ago. 

"She looks so pale - as if she were already dead," a deep voice spoke gently, which Jon, after a moment of confusion, identified as Snape's voice, lacking its usual cynical, angry, or sneering undertone. 

Jon had thought the same when he had seen his mum. She was lying on her back, her hands clasped above the blanket, her face white as the sheets, her cheeks hollow, her eyes closed. He had suddenly felt a wave of panic surging up. If she died, he would not only lose his beloved mother - this horrible picture would be his last memory of her and probably haunt him forever. 

Jon wondered what Snape was doing here. Looking after her? Why would he? He had saved her life, but that didn't mean that he would be concerned about her. Snape had once saved Harry's life too, not because he liked Harry, but because he regarded it as his duty. Doubtless it was the same here. But did this sense of duty include visits to her sickbed? 

Dumbledore spoke softly, and Jon pricked up his ears, casting aside his current train of thought. 

"I have seen her like this before. In St. Mungo's, many years ago. The Cruciatus Curse had taken a lot out of her. She was very lucky that she neither lost her sanity nor her baby." 

Jon swallowed. Cruciatus Curse? He remembered her comment about wishing to be able to ward off Cruciatus in the first Defence lesson. What had happened to her? She had told them about her work as spy at Halloween and that she had had to quit because Lord Voldemort had caught her stealing his Pensieve. But she hadn't talked about details like a Cruciatus Curse. Was it sheer luck then that he was alive? Had he almost died before he was even born? 

"She recovered then, and she'll do so this time, won't she?" Snape asked, as quiet as Dumbledore had spoken. Jon could almost hear concern in Snape's voice, which irritated him to no end. 

"She's a fighter. She does not give up easily," Dumbledore replied. 

"I know." The tone of Snape's answer showed clearly that he was more acquainted with Serena's stubbornness than he considered desirable. 

"You know her pretty well. I remember that you were the closest of friends, but now you ignore each other most of the time, or else jump down each others' throats. May I venture to ask what happened between you two?" 

Snape didn't speak at once. Jon thought Snape wouldn't answer such a personal question at all, but he did - in a frosty tone, though. 

"She's changed," the Potions Master said. "After receiving the Dark Mark, she became much darker than was good for her. Besides, she had secrets, and still has. I don't trust her to any great extent." 

"Why, Severus, she always had secrets, even from you. It did not prevent you from being her friend. Surely you understand that she could not tell you about her spying, and that it was not personal." 

"With all due respect, Headmaster, you trust many people to whom others wouldn't even give their hand. Perhaps you're a bit too trusting. Serena's an excellent actress if she needs to be. I've seen her true face. Spy or not - I can't believe that she really is what she shows us." 

"What makes you think so?" Dumbledore spoke in a soft, benign tone to Severus, as if he was discussing a somewhat complicated matter with a child, aware that it needed some time to fully comprehend it. 

"When she was a Death Eater - I mean a spy - we were sent out to kill people for the Dark Lord. Serena did more than her duty, more than just fulfilling her share of the task in order to preserve her cover. She enjoyed it - and her pleasure in doing so was genuine, not only acting. I've never seen her as happy as then," Snape said bitterly. 

Dumbledore took a deep breath and his beard rustled softly when he stroked it. Finally, he said, "Severus, I think it's time to tell you about something that only very few know. You are right: Serena was indeed filled with contentment and happiness, but for a completely different reason. She didn't harm these people. Quite the reverse; she saved their lives." 

"What do you mean - she saved their lives? I personally witnessed her killing them!" 

"No, you only think you did. You remember seeing her doing those horrid things, but the crux of the matter is that these memories are false. None of it ever happened. Serena altered your memories, and the ones of your partners in crime. In truth, she brought your victims away and replaced them with false corpses." 

For about a minute, no one spoke. Snape seemed at a loss for words. "Really?... But this can't be... it seems so real..." was all he muttered at length. Then he fell silent again, probably checking his mind for any signs of being manipulated. 

After a while, Dumbledore added, "I would not put it past her to having deliberately made your memories especially revolting. She never abandoned her hope in you seeing the errors of your ways one day. Something that Moody - and I must admit I sometimes too - doubted. Perhaps she tried to appeal to your conscience, tried to make you see how wrong it was what you did, or rather you thought you did." 

"Was that the reason for you being so eager to give me a second chance - feeling guilt for having considered me a hopeless case?" 

Even if Jon couldn't see it through the curtain, he was sure that Dumbledore smiled. He could almost feel it, and he could hear it in the tone of the headmaster's answer. 

"This may have played a part in making my decision, but be assured that other, more logical reasons carried a greater weight." 

"I still don't trust her," Snape stated as a matter of fact after a while. "She's never cared much for rules, loyalties, or even law. Should her plans ever happen to disagree with your cause - I'm sure she wouldn't hesitate to turn against you. She's nearly done so already." 

"She did? When?" Dumbledore asked with mild curiosity. 

"Just to make sure - she can't have manipulated my memories of the night when the Dark Lord caught her stealing his Pensieve, am I right? She doesn't even know I was there." 

"So it is," Dumbledore confirmed. 

"Well, then this really happened. He asked her why she had dared to burgle him. She answered that she wanted to find a way to overthrow him and take his place - no word about fighting for the good side, or spying for the Ministry, or something like that. No, plain thirst for power and improvement of her own position were her reasons." 

"You know, if she had told him the truth, told him about her being the mole, Lord Voldemort would have changed all of his plans instantly, without any way for us to learn about it. And think of all these people she saved. Lord Voldemort must not know that they are still alive, or he would go after them again." 

"She was under Veritaserum, she couldn't lie." 

Despite Veritaserum being a weighty argument against Serena, Dumbledore's faith in her remained strong. "Maybe she was not completely under its effect. Maybe she managed to spit it out, or it did not work properly." 

Snape snorted. "As if I wouldn't have pondered all these possibilities already. The answer is No. She didn't spit it out, I saw her swallow it. The serum wasn't flawed either. I brewed it and I wouldn't have sent out anything of less than best quality. And Serena didn't spoil my potions before she delivered them. I'm certain the Dark Lord would have punished me if any potion wouldn't have showed the effect that was expected of it. Not to mention Serena's potion skills, which wouldn't have allowed her to do more advanced manipulations than pouring everything away. Oh, and Lucius Malfoy, who fetched the potion for the Dark Lord, didn't hand him the wrong vial either." 

"I see you have thoroughly deliberated it indeed. But simply because you do not see a possible explanation does not mean that there is none. If she actually had wanted to lead the Death Eaters, why didn't she take Lord Voldemort's place when it became vacant? No, this is not enough to shake my confidence in her." 

Severus didn't relent. "And what about her brother?" 

"What about him?" 

"Serena visited him, two days before you cast the Fidelius Charm on him and his family. What if she knew that there was a traitor who gave sensitive information to the Dark Lord? What if she knew his identity? What if she talked Black out of being Secret Keeper for the sole reason that James Potter would chose Pettigrew instead?" 

"This would imply that she wanted or approved of her brother's death. I cannot see any reason for this." 

"But I can. Perhaps she tried to gain the Dark Lord's forgiveness. Or perhaps she wanted to take revenge on her brother. After all, it was him who told her parents about her joining the Dark forces in the first place, which resulted in her being cast out of her family." 

"Serena loved her brother. She visited him because she missed him and had decided that it was time to become reconciled with him. She wouldn't have wished him any harm, I'm certain." 

"But I'm not. If you think you can trust her then I must accept it. But I won't change my own opinion. There's more to her than meets the eye, and I'm convinced that this isn't necessarily a good thing." 

Dumbledore sighed. "All right, if you think so. I cannot force you into changing your beliefs. But it certainly would do you no harm to rethink your opinions in light of the fact that she didn't do everything that you think she did." 

Snape didn't answer and there was silence for a couple of minutes. Jon worried that Dumbledore and Snape would sit at her bed through the whole night. His muscles became already sore and he couldn't move to ease them as long as the professors didn't leave. Harry thought along the same lines, as the worried look that he cast to Jon told clearly. 

Suddenly, Snape spoke again, hesitantly and so quietly that it was barely understandable. 

"Before she passed out, she... she asked me for... a favour." 

Dumbledore silently waited for Snape to continue. Another minute passed until he finally did. "In case she should die... she wanted me to... to take care of her son." 

Jon and Harry stared in horror at each other. Serena couldn't stand Snape, and the feeling was mutual. Why on earth would she want Snape of all people to take care of Jon? There wasn't anything that held Snape and Jon together in any way. And Snape certainly wasn't keen on adopting a boy just because his mother used to be a friend of his long ago. 

"Did she tell you why?" the headmaster inquired. 

Jon also ached to hear the answer to this question. A slightly comforting thought was that she had asked Snape only because he was the only one to be there, and perhaps she hadn't even recognised it was him. But this still didn't change the fact that she had asked Snape of all people. 

"Yes, she did. But she was only whispering, and not speaking very clearly, and I might have misunderstood her." 

"What do you think she said?" 

Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "She said, I... I was his... Jon's... father." 

Suddenly Jon didn't care anymore if their presence remained concealed or not. He wanted to get up and shout to Snape that this couldn't be true, that he couldn't be Jon's father because, well, because he didn't want Snape to be his father. 

Harry could barely keep Jon quiet, clamping his hand over Jon's mouth and holding him in a firm grip as if Jon was a snitch that he wouldn't let go. That they weren't discovered, they only owed to the fact that Snape had got up in the same moment and was now pacing up and down. The scraping noise of the chair being pushed across the floor and the creaking floorboards hid the soft rustling of their robes. 

Dumbledore sounded genuinely amused when he said, "And why do you think this can't be true? Have you ever looked at Jon? His dark eyes, his tall slender build? Or his expression when he's furious? And not to forget his talent in Potions. Admittedly, his similarity to his mother is much more striking, but the similarity to you is nothing that keen eyes wouldn't notice. I would have thought you had recognized it the first time your eyes fell on him. I was wrong, apparently." 

"Then it's true? And you knew it? Why haven't you ever said anything to me?" 

"I promised Serena to keep it a secret, especially from you. You were still a Death Eater when she was expecting, and Serena was concerned about her child's safety. But I was confident that she would tell you someday - and she did." 

The pacing became faster, more agitated, as did Snape's voice. "But not when she returned to Hogwarts, no, she waited until the moment she'd nearly died to tell me. If it hadn't been for this attack, she'd probably never have told me!" 

"Well, you said you do not trust her. Perhaps that feeling is mutual?" Dumbledore rose also from his chair. "It is late. I will go to bed now. Good night, Severus, and pleasant dreams." With these words Dumbledore left. 

Snape stopped pacing and muttered under his breath about not being able to sleep with something like this on his mind and the old wizard knowing it and maliciously delighting in Snape's disquiet. 

"You better not die, Serena," he finally growled, "I have to have a serious word with you." Then he, too, left the room. 

Jon could hear him starting a heated discussion with Madam Pomfrey about staying in the infirmary or returning to his own quarters, but he didn't listen long enough to hear the outcome. 

Harry peeked through the crack in the curtain, then removed the Invisibility Cloak and muttered, "The coast's clear. Oh boy, I thought they'd never go. My muscles are sore and my leg's gone to sleep." He shook and massaged his left calf to get the blood circulation going again. 

When Jon didn't say anything and didn't move, Harry asked concerned, "You okay?" 

"No," Jon said, more to himself than to Harry. "This... This can't be true. It's difficult enough to accept that they used to be friends. And that she lived in his house. But that they were a couple?" He violently shook his head. "I don't want to be Snape's son! I'd rather have no father at all." He heaved a sigh of despair and hid his face in his hands, mumbling, "What have I done to deserve this?" 

Harry laid his hand comfortingly on Jon's shoulder. "That's a nasty shock. Perhaps it would be easier to take if you looked at the positive aspects of it." 

"Which would be?" Jon doubtfully asked. 

"Your father isn't Lucius Malfoy." 

Jon glared at Harry, sourly replying, "If this was supposed to cheer me up, I'll give you another try." 

"C'mon, I mean, your father isn't a Death Eater. Isn't that something?" Harry insisted. 

Jon rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, you're right. My father's only an _ex_ -Death Eater. This changes everything, of course. How could I be so ignorant! And I've found just another good thing in Snape being my father instead of Malfoy. He does only hate me, he didn't try to kidnap me. I'm such a lucky boy!" 

Harry removed his hand from Jon's shoulder and returned to his seat beside Serena's bed. "Stop being so sarcastic," he muttered, "right now, you bear a fairly unhealthy resemblance to Snape." 

Jon deliberately ignored Harry's last comment. The initial shock about the identity of his father had gradually changed into anger. And needing to let it off, Jon vented at whoever was available. 

He walked over to Serena's bed and said, his voice full of reproach, "Oh Mum, really, how _could_ you? Why him? I'm sure you could have got anyone you wanted." Jon sat down, sighing. 

After repeatedly being snapped at in return for his attempts to cheer Jon up, Harry stayed silent. 

Jon didn't notice it, though, and continued his monologue. "Now I know why I didn't ask her. I didn't want to hear something like this." 

He tore his hair in a fit of despair and finally hid his face in his hands, mumbling, "Could you please Obliviate me, Harry?" 

"Better not. I've never tried Memory Spells and I'd probably botch that small bit of brain that's yours," Harry refused Jon's plea. "Hey, as long as she gets better again, nothing will change for you. Snape certainly won't suddenly start being a good daddy and try to spend time with you. So if Serena doesn't die, and I'm convinced that she won't, there's nothing to be worried about." 

Harry suddenly grinned. "Hey, you really shouldn't complain, it actually could be worse, much worse." 

"I can't see how," Jon grumbled. 

"Serena's taste in men is questionable, no doubt, but imagine if she'd have dated Gilderoy Lockhart. Or even Voldemort - just for the sake of getting valuable information at first hand." 

"Oh thank you for _that_ picture. Really, you should practise very hard before you attempt to cheer someone up again." 

But even if Jon didn't admit it, Harry's joke seemed to have worked. While they continued their silent watch on Serena, Jon couldn't help but grin from time to time. Once he even softly chuckled, imagining his mum slapping an advancing Lockhart with one of his own books until he whimpered, promising to stay out of her sight forever. 

The rest of the night was quiet, there was no second attack. Harry and Jon took turns at watching and sleeping. Shortly after sunrise, they heard Madam Pomfrey starting her morning round through the infirmary. Both of them waited beside the door, hidden under the Invisibility Cloak. When the matron entered the room to look after Serena, they stealthily slipped out and returned to Gryffindor Tower to get a refreshing shower and clean clothes before breakfast. 

During the day there was usually a continual coming and going in the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey was always around, so Serena wasn't unobserved. During the nights, Jon and Harry kept their watch, and Hermione and Ron offered to help them with their night-duties, which the boys gratefully accepted. 

Spike also turned up at the infirmary each evening. He meowed until someone let him in, then hopped on Serena's bed and napped there until the early morning hours. A few times, the night nurse came into the room, looking for the source of a noise she had heard. Spike always jumped from the bed to a nearby shelf and down to the floor again until he convinced her she had heard just him, saving Jon and Harry from being discovered. 

* * *

"I'm so fed up with hearing about failures!" 

"I'm sorry, my Lord! I promise, it won't happen again!" 

Lucius Malfoy kneeled in front of the glowering Lord Voldemort, expecting to be hit by a Cruciatus or some other nasty curse at every moment. The gloating gaze from another pair of eyes lay on him and Lucius could almost feel them burning holes in his back. He hated Wormtail, the Dark Lord's new favourite, almost as much as he hated the name Potter. 

Once Lucius had been unable to find and kill James Potter and his family, and finally the Dark Lord had lost his patience and gone after them himself. The snivelling worm had known where to find them, but of course he hadn't told Lucius so. Pettigrew had wallowed in delight over Lucius being punished and then given his piece of information to the Dark Lord, getting a nice big reward for it. 

And now Lucius was after Potter's sister and her son, and she, too, managed to frustrate his work. She had saved her son from being kidnapped and made sure he wouldn't leave Hogwarts soon. Then Lucius found out that she had registered her Animagus skill, which scotched his new plan of causing her so much trouble with the Ministry that sooner or later her son would be required to leave the safety of Hogwarts in order to make an appearance before the Wizengamot for a custody hearing. 

The Dark Lord had given him one last chance to lure Jon Potter out of Hogwarts, and Lucius himself had gone to the school and jinxed one of the Bludgers to hurt Serena seriously enough to send her to St. Mungo's. As skilled as the Hogwarts matron was, a skull fracture or a broken backbone was something she couldn't heal alone. Lucius was sure the boy wouldn't hesitate to go to London in order to see his mother in the hospital. If it hadn't been for Snape, the plan would have worked. 

Lucius sighed, frustrated. Who would know that Snape would put himself in danger to save her, when their friendship had broken years before. 

But the Dark Lord wouldn't listen to any excuses. He was only interested in the successful execution of his orders. 

"You are sorry? Not sorry enough, as it appears to me. I will make you sorry, though. And you are right, you will not fail me again. I will not rely on your incompetence in this case any longer. I have decided to leave this task to someone who is more suited to fulfil it." 

Voldemort cast a glance aside where Wormtail stood, vainly trying to hide his malicious pleasure about Malfoy's bad luck. "Wormtail, you will bring me Jonathan Potter, and you will not disappoint me, will you?" 

"Of course not, my Lord. The boy will soon be yours." 

"May I ask how he plans to achieve this? Maybe I can help him," Lucius tried to prevent having his task taken from him completely and left to the worm once again. 

"No, Wormtail will do it alone. As long as no one impedes him with their inabilities, he will succeed," Voldemort said, declaring the matter closed. 

Lucius didn't get a chance to object, even if he had wanted to, because punishment in the form of unbearable pain flooded his body, banishing every coherent thought.


	15. Changes

_(October 1979)_

Two days after Severus had left Serena in front of St. Mungo's, he came home in the evening to find a grey-black tabby cat sitting in his front garden. As if it had waited for him, the cat ran up to him when he approached his house and rubbed against his boots. 

Severus didn't like cats overly much. Serena had once picked up a stray cat and brought it into his house. In Serena's presence it looked as though butter wouldn't melt in its mouth. But as soon as she was out of sight, the cat started climbing the furniture, leaving ugly scratch marks, or running over shelves and throwing their contents down, which included valuable potion ingredients in fragile containers. Severus had demanded that the beast stayed out of his house, but Serena had blamed him for the havoc that the cat caused. 

As cats were sensitive beings, she had explained, it was only natural that it got scared in Severus' presence, sensing his dislike for it. He would only need to overcome his aversion, and the cat would stop running amok among his possessions. 

Fortune smiled on him and presented him with a much more convenient solution. Three days later, Serena delivered a batch of potions to the local apothecary and returned with a dejected expression and a piece of paper that she had found nailed to a tree-trunk in the village. It showed an unmoving picture of a little Muggle girl, holding a cat that looked exactly like the feline monster that Severus had locked in Serena's room when she left. _'Have you seen my pet?'_ was written in bold letters across the photograph and contact information of the cat's owner was added at the bottom. 

After Serena had returned the cat with a heavy heart, making a little girl blissfully happy, there hadn't been another cat in his house. Serena had dallied with the idea of getting a pet, but Severus had adamantly refused to endure another one of those beasts in his home. 

The tabby cat expectantly eyed the front door, looking ready to slip in as soon as Severus opened it. 

Annoyed, Severus hissed, "Bugger off!" 

When it didn't move, he lifted his foot to give the cat a hearty kick, but it jumped aside and stayed cautiously out of his reach. Severus couldn't help but wonder if he knew this animal. It seemed familiar to him, though he couldn't remember where he had seen it before. 

Casting another threatening glare at it, he opened the front door. The cat seemed to ignore his glare and interpret the open door as an invitation. Quick as lightning, it whisked through between his feet and flitted into the house. 

"Damn beast! You've got no business here!" Cursing, he run after the cat to shoo it out of his house before it started emptying the shelves. 

The cat did not seem interested in wrecking havoc, though. It sat in front of his fireplace, nowhere near anything fragile, and waited for him. When Severus stepped closer, it suddenly transfigured into a witch - Minerva McGonagall. She flicked her wand, and the front door slammed shut. 

Realisation dawned upon him. He had seen McGonagall's Animagus form before. In their first Transfiguration lesson, years ago, she had given a few examples of what belonged to the wide field of Transfigurations. Serena had been excited about the cat, and pointed out to him that the fur around her eyes looked as if she was still wearing her square glasses. These unusual markings had been what had seemed familiar to him. 

"To what circumstances do I owe the favour of your company, _Professor_?" He drew out the last word in a mocking tone, emphasising the fact that he wasn't a Hogwarts student anymore. 

McGonagall gave him one of her typical stern looks, this time expressing disapproval, but also a hint of masked uneasiness. Severus got the impression that she would rather not be here, in his house, with him, but she made an effort not to show it. He felt a flash of satisfaction for the fact that he seemed to intimidate his former professor. 

"Good evening, Mr. Snape," she commenced, subtly hinting that she noticed very well that he hadn't greeted her. "Professor Dumbledore sent me. He would like to meet you. He's awaiting you at Hogwarts." 

Severus snorted disdainfully. "What makes him think he could give me orders? He wants something and I jump to it? If it's important, he can always send me an owl, or stop by himself." 

"An owl isn't secure enough. And he thinks it's safer for you if you are not seen together. What makes me wonder is why he cares about your safety at all." McGonagall made no secret of her opinion about Severus. Perhaps she was not intimidated by his manner so much as his Death Eater status, and thus potentially dangerous nature? 

"Out of curiosity, what does he actually want?" 

"I don't know. All he said was that he would like to talk to you about a patient in St. Mungo's. You would know whom he meant." 

Severus froze. Dumbledore knew about Serena? How she had come to St. Mungo's? How could Dumbledore know this? Had someone seen him that night? But he had been concealed under the Invisibility Cloak. Had Serena somehow regained her consciousness and recognised him without him noticing? But why would she tell Dumbledore? Why did Dumbledore interfere at all? What did he have to do with it? 

"I'll think about it. Tell him that," Severus answered brusquely and cast a meaningful look at the door. 

McGonagall gave the curtest of nods before she transfigured back into a cat. Severus opened the front door and she slipped out. 

Severus kept his word and thought about Dumbledore's invitation. He wondered how much Dumbledore possibly knew. And if it was better to meet him or to stay away from Hogwarts altogether. 

When Lord Voldemort had found Serena missing, he had badly hexed Lucius Malfoy in a fit of rage. No one had seen Malfoy since. Suspecting that someone had helped her to escape, Voldemort suspiciously watched over all Death Eaters and looked out for treacherous signs in their behaviour. Since Severus had been a friend of hers who had even shared his home with her, he was a particularly strong suspect. Severus didn't intend to behave somehow conspicuously, for example by visiting the Dark Lord's archenemy. 

But an opportunity arose three days later that he couldn't let pass by, being as curious as he was to find out what Dumbledore knew and wanted. Severus was in Hogsmeade, making enquiries about one of the Aurors on his list. After having finished his work, he Apparated into the Shrieking Shack. A secret passage led from the shack to Hogwarts, ending below the Whomping Willow. If he used this underground tunnel, no one would see him going there. A cold shiver ran down his spine when he remembered the last time he had followed this passage in the other direction. 

* * *

It had been in his sixth year. Ever since Valentine's Day and the break-up with Black, Serena had hid herself away in her dormitory. For lack of company, Severus killed time by aimlessly prowling about the castle. The sun was already low down on the horizon. Passing a window on the first floor, he caught sight of Madam Pomfrey walking across the lawn outside, leading Remus Lupin to the Whomping Willow. Severus stopped to watch them. Despite flattening his nose against the windowpane he couldn't make out what exactly Pomfrey was doing, but suddenly the Willow grew rigid. A moment later Lupin vanished between the Willow's roots and the matron returned to the castle. 

This wasn't the first time that Lupin disappeared under the tree, and when he returned he always looked tired and sick. Severus had wondered what Lupin did and had even secretly followed him. But he had never made it past the Whomping Willow, no matter how hard he had tried. The violent tree had once almost broken his arm. Fortunately Serena had been able to seal the worst cuts, and she hadn't asked questions. So Severus hadn't been forced to go to Pomfrey and explain the cause of his injury. 

"You're dying to know where he's going to, aren't you?" 

Severus spun around. Sirius Black stood behind him and regarded him with a mocking smile. Severus cursed silently, he had been too occupied with the goings-on outside to hear Black sneak up on him. Apparently Black was alone, and Severus folded his arms in front of his chest, surreptitiously fingering his wand that he kept up his sleeve. 

"I don't suppose that you'll tell me," he answered coolly. 

"Of course not. But I can't prevent you from finding it out by yourself either, I s'ppose." 

"As if you had to; the Whomping Willow is already doing a fine job there." 

"The Willow? Don't tell me that you still haven't identified the knot on its trunk that paralyses the tree? I wouldn't have thought you're _that_ stupid." Black clapped his hand over his mouth, looking troubled because of his slip. 

Severus turned on his heel and stormed out. Only stopping when he stood in front of the Whomping Willow, he scrutinised its trunk. There was the knot Black had spoken of. Severus let his gaze wander around, pondering how he should press it when the Willow didn't let him come near. His eyes fell on a long stick that lay in the grass. He picked it up and hesitated. What if Black had played another prank on him? What if the tree didn't freeze when he pressed the knot, but became even more violent? 

Curiosity finally prevailed over suspicion and he pressed the knot. And behold, the Willow stopped moving. Cautiously, he stepped closer and eyed the hole between the Willow's roots. What would he find down there? He had spent much thought on this question, had thought up the most obscure theories. Now he would finally see the answer. 

"No, Snape, don't go down there!" Severus heard someone shouting. Turning his head, he saw James Potter running towards him, and Black reluctantly following Potter, a long distance behind. 

Whatever was in this hole, they wouldn't prevent him from finding it out now, Severus thought, and jumped in. It was dark, but only for a moment until he lit his wand with a Lumos Spell. All he could see was a long tunnel that disappeared in the darkness. Severus hurriedly followed it. 

A few seconds later he heard Potter call again, "Snape, stop! Don't go further, that's dangerous!" 

Dangerous, ha! He wouldn't fall for Potter's cheap trick to scare him. Severus heard Potter coming nearer and ran faster. The tunnel seemed to drag on forever. When Severus began to wonder if he would ever come to an end, he suddenly heard a noise, not far ahead of him. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It sounded like a howl, distorted with pain. Did they maybe hide an awful beast, and Lupin was looking after it right now, feeding it perhaps? Was his sickness a result of his meetings with this monster? 

Inwardly rejoicing that Potter and his gang would certainly be expelled if Severus uncovered that they secretly kept a dangerous, in all likelihood illegal monster on Hogwarts grounds, he rounded the next bend. His run was abruptly stopped when he collided with something huge, furry, and growling. He looked up and stared, paralysed with horror, at the rows of long sharp fangs that filled the enormous mouth of a werewolf! 

Potter, who had caught up with him, grabbed Severus' arm and yanked him back, just in the moment when the werewolf let out another deafening howl and snapped at his throat. Potter shouted, " _Stupefy_!" and a red flash hit the werewolf, temporarily knocking him down. 

"Out here! Hurry up!" Potter yelled urgently at Severus and quickly pushed him in the direction where they had come from. 

The werewolf was already back on its feet and leaped at them. Severus was hurled along the tunnel, slid a few more yards along, and finally was stopped by a thick root that protruded from the ground and smacked against his head. He lay on his side, dazed, while Potter continued to throw Stunning Spells at the beast. Before everything went black around Severus, he thought he saw a huge black dog running past Potter and barking at the werewolf. The werewolf's rage seemed to lessen, and finally he turned and disappeared in the tunnel, followed by the black dog. But that dog looked so much like a Grim that Severus was convinced that either his last hour had come, or his aching head was creating hallucinations. Or both. 

* * *

On his walk through the subterranean passage, Severus passed the root that still obstructed the way. If he examined it closely, he could even see where it had cracked when his head had hit it. 

He snorted ill-temperedly. After awaking in the infirmary, despite his throbbing headache, he had quickly drawn the conclusion that the werewolf must have been Lupin. Suddenly everything had made sense: why Lupin regularly disappeared, why he was always sick, why they hid him under the Whomping Willow. And Black had known of this, of course he had, and had deliberately told Severus how to freeze the Willow in order to feed him to the monster. 

When Severus remembered what had happened afterwards, it still roused his bile. Black hadn't been expelled, nor Potter, not even the werewolf Lupin. A deduction of points and a detention for Black had been the only punishment for the Gryffindors. Instead, the headmaster had threatened him, the victim of attempted murder, with expulsion if he didn't keep details about the incident a secret. 

At that time he had been left with no alternative and had submitted to Dumbledore's order. But things had changed. He wasn't a student anymore. Dumbledore couldn't blackmail him any longer. Whatever the headmaster of Hogwarts wanted, Severus didn't have to fulfil the old wizard's wishes. He would listen to what Dumbledore had to say, and then he would decline and leave him alone, just because he could. 

When Severus reached the Whomping Willow, dusk had already set in. He made it unseen to the double front doors and entered the castle. It was dinnertime, and a murmur of chatting from students and professors emanated from the Great Hall. Still remembering the way to the headmaster's office, Severus didn't bother to check the Great Hall for Dumbledore. Instead, he climbed the stairs to the second floor. He didn't meet anyone on his way, and since he didn't know the gargoyle's password, he sat down on a bench that lay in the shadows of a window recess and waited. 

About half an hour later, the headmaster came up the stairs. He stepped to the statue of the gargoyle and said, "Good evening, Mr. Snape. I'm glad that you could come, at last. Please follow me to my office." 

While Severus got up, Dumbledore said the password, and they ascended the spiral staircase together. 

"I thought, Hogwarts would be secured against unwelcome intruders," Severus said with a sneer, fighting the strange urge to feel welcome and to submit to the winning presence that Dumbledore emanated. "But I had no difficulty getting in. Perhaps you want to revise your security measures." 

"Oh, but unwelcome intruders are kept outside of Hogwarts grounds. Expecting your visit, I modified the charms around the Shrieking Shack to let you in." 

Severus swallowed. Was there anything that the old wizard didn't know? Not very keen on spending more time than necessary in the company of someone who appeared to be omniscient, Severus decided to skip the small talk and come straight to the point. 

"So," he asked as soon as they reached Dumbledore's office, "why am I here?" 

The headmaster sat down behind his desk, gesturing to Severus to take a seat as well. "Because you came. I hope you didn't think of my invitation as an order to make an appearance." 

Severus remained standing, and didn't touch the cup of tea that appeared in front of his offered seat either. "This isn't an answer. You sent me a message that you wanted to speak to me about Serena. Who told you that I brought her to St. Mungo's? Was it her?" 

"No. She has no clue how she came to the hospital." 

"So who else told you?" 

"You did, just now." The headmaster's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I had surmised as much. You two are friends, so you were the most logical choice. And now you've confirmed my theory. If I had been wrong, you couldn't possibly have known whom Professor McGonagall was talking about." 

Severus bit his tongue. Was that Dumbledore's secret? He wasn't that extensively informed, but people told him a lot, assuming that he already knew? And Severus had fallen for his trick! 

"A nurse from St. Mungo's remembered her from Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued, "This was a good thing because Miss Potter refused to speak to anyone, which made it difficult for the hospital staff to find out who she was or what happened to her. The nurse sent an owl to Miss Potter's family, informing them of her patient. When she didn't receive an answer, she contacted me." 

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "She remembered that Miss Potter was called to my office quite often, especially in her last year at Hogwarts. She thought, if I had so many serious talks with Miss Potter, I could perhaps have one more." 

Severus listened with attention, but made an effort not to let it show. He wasn't sure if Dumbledore told him about Serena because he just liked to talk. Or if he had sensed Severus' interest and did Severus a favour in telling him because he knew that Severus wouldn't ask. Whatever Dumbledore's motives were, Severus certainly wouldn't allow himself being led to believe that he owed Dumbledore anything. 

"Well, the nurse was right," Dumbledore continued, ignoring the frown on Severus' face. "I could convince Miss Potter to break her silence. She told me that she got herself in trouble with Lord Voldemort, which resulted in his threat to execute her. She does not know who saved her life, though. I wonder why you did it. From your perspective, she betrayed your master. Wouldn't you be obliged to condemn her for what she did?" 

Severus didn't answer at once. Dumbledore had hit the nail on the head. He should wish her dead, but he didn't. He should hate her for deceiving his Lord, but he couldn't. He nourished quite different feelings for her, even if she didn't return them. 

But of course this was nothing he would ever admit to the wizard in front of him. Or to anyone else, for that matter. He answered, carefully keeping his face an unfathomable mask, "This is none of your business. We aren't your students anymore." 

Dismissing this evasive answer with a shrug, Dumbledore carried on, "By saving her life you betrayed Lord Voldemort as well. If he should find this out, he would kill you without a second thought." 

"I'm aware of this." 

"Does he suspect you already?" 

"If he does, he didn't tell me so. I still wonder - what concern is it of yours? You apparently know that I'm a Death Eater, so of what importance is it to you if I'm dead or alive? And why don't you call the Aurors to arrest me?" 

"Mr. Snape, I'm not interested in ruining your life by having you thrown into Azkaban. You won't need my help for that. You can just carry on with your life as you have so far, and you will end up there sooner or later. No, I asked you to come because I would like to offer you a way out of your current situation. You betrayed Lord Voldemort. I ask you to do so again. Our fight against him is highly dependant on information about his next steps, his organisation, his means. Unfortunately, our sources are scarce, and there is no one who is in such a trusted position as you are." 

"You want me to spy on the Dark Lord for you?" Stunned, Severus sat down on the chair that he had been offered earlier. Whatever he had expected of this meeting, it hadn't been this. 

Dumbledore nodded in confirmation, wearing a serious expression. "There is more. I'm sure you remember your Potions Professor, Avenicus Godpot. He plans to retire in the near future. This will leave me in want for a new Potions Master. I was thinking of you. Your Potions skills have always been exceptional." 

"You want me to teach Potions - here?" 

Severus was beginning to wonder if this conversation was real or if he had one of those strange, totally bizarre dreams. Because he couldn't see any logic in Albus Dumbledore, the Dark Lord's archenemy, asking a Death Eater to teach at his school. 

Well, dream or not, he didn't even need to consider this offer; there was no way of accepting it. "I can't take this job. Firstly, I have absolutely no experience in dealing with children or in teaching..." 

"This is mostly a question of practise," Dumbledore quickly dismissed this objection, as if he had expected to hear it. "Of far more importance is the Potions knowledge, of which you possess plenty. I'm convinced that you'll manage to teach the art of potion making to my students properly." 

Severus shook his head. "Secondly, which is far more important, the Dark Lord would never approve of it." 

"He would if he thought you were here to spy on me. All you need to do is to plant this idea in his mind, preferably in a way that makes him believe he has come up with it by himself. Then he will not only approve of you teaching here, he will order you to do so." 

This was becoming more and more absurd. Now Dumbledore didn't only want him to become a spy, but a pretend double agent - to act as if to be spying on Dumbledore while actually spying on the Dark Lord. 

"Your teaching here would benefit you as well. If your cooperation with me should be discovered, there is no safer place for you than Hogwarts," the headmaster added. 

Severus shook his head, blinking, but it didn't help him to see this offer in any other, more logical light. 

"Why do you do want _me_ to do this? Surely not because of your fondness of me. So why?" 

"As I said, we need spies, and you are the right man for this job. The same applies for the position as Potions professor. And you would relieve me of another one of my worries." 

"Which is?" 

"Sooner or later, Lord Voldemort will infiltrate his agents into Hogwarts again. He attempted it already, but we have been able to uncover and remove his mole. If he sent you, we would not need to worry anymore who would be next." 

Now this sounded a bit more reasonable in Severus' ears. While he wouldn't completely put it past Dumbledore to choose someone as unlikely as him for the sole reason of helping a misguided soul finding their way back to the straight and narrow, Severus found it easier to believe that the wizard had no other alternative than to use a Death Eater for his strange plans. 

"So I'm to serve as your insurance against the Dark Lord's spies. What makes you think I'd even take your offer into consideration?" 

"You would not be discussing it here with me if you did not want to be convinced, would you?" 

"But this is a very delicate matter. How can you trust me not to betray you to the Dark Lord?" 

"You saved Miss Potter's life. If you deem a person so important for you, that you even risk your life for hers, then you cannot be completely depraved. Then there must be something good in you, maybe even a conscience. You also proved to be capable of deceiving your master, and successfully concealing your actions. That's something to start with. If you should accept my offer, I'm sure there will arise plenty of opportunities to confirm my initial trust in you." 

"So you ask me to risk my life, which I must say is already complicated enough, to help you gain an advantage in your fight against the Dark Lord. What do _I_ get out of it?" 

"The extremely gratifying feeling that arises out of the knowledge of having done good." 

Severus scowled at the headmaster, considering it beneath his dignity to comment this ridiculous answer. 

"I suspected that this reason, valid as it may be, would not trigger your interest. But here is another: I'm convinced that Lord Voldemort will not oppress the wizarding world forever. When he falls, his followers will end up in Azkaban. You certainly do not want to partake in their fate, do you? Your cooperation would spare you such an end. You would be a free man after that." 

An owl swept into the room in this moment and landed on Dumbledore's desk. It insistently held its leg out to the headmaster, and when he had removed the roll of parchment, it pecked urgently at his arm until he opened and read the letter. 

Severus used this pause to mull over the things that Dumbledore had said to him. Despite his first impression that there was no logic, no common sense in the offer, it somehow rang true and reasonable. It didn't matter if one betrayed the Dark Lord once or several times. If he found out, the consequence would be death. Severus didn't have anything to lose. And instead of spending the rest of his life in the company of Dementors that sucked every good feeling and sanity out of him, someday he could leave all that behind and begin a new life. 

During the past weeks he had become more and more aware that his Death Eater life wasn't like he had once imagined it. He didn't mind brewing potions for the Dark Lord, and he didn't mind the hard work that was necessary to satisfy these potions requests either. The prospect of being able to use the Dark Arts whenever he felt like using them had also been part of his decision to join the Dark forces in the first place. 

But things had developed in a direction that wasn't to his palate. He didn't want to torture people to death whose only crime was to be of lesser blood. He didn't want to be repeatedly reminded that he was different because the others enjoyed it. He had already come to the realisation that it had been a mistake to join the Death Eaters. Professor Dumbledore offered him a second chance, a possibility to put his error right. 

And if he was honest with himself, he had already considered the option of quitting. He had dismissed it, though, since no one turned his back on the Dark Lord and lived to tell the tale. 

Spying, however, wasn't exactly what he had thought about. He would still act as a Death Eater, would still have to partake in activities he didn't want to. But he could at least help to bring this to an end, maybe even a faster end than without him helping Dumbledore. 

How ironic, he thought, on his way to Hogwarts he had been determined to reject everything the old man could possibly ask of him. Now, Dumbledore's request went beyond his wildest dreams and he was seriously considering accepting it. Had he lost his mind or did Dumbledore have some kind of power over him? 

Probably both, because when he saw that Dumbledore had finished reading his letter, Severus cleared his throat and heard himself saying, "I'll only report to you, and you won't tell anyone about our agreement, least of all the Ministry of Magic. There are traitors who feed the Dark Lord information, including highly classified material that only someone in the Ministry could have leaked. I also don't want Serena to know who saved her. If the Dark Lord should get her, which isn't unlikely, he has means to squeeze this information out of her." 

"Agreed," Dumbledore assented. 

After a moment's hesitation, Severus added, "The mole in the Ministry gave a list with names of Aurors to the Dark Lord. You better warn them, he wants them dead." He took his part of the list out of his robe and showed it to the headmaster. "Serena got another piece, and Lucius Malfoy the third. One of the names on his list was James Potter. And because of Serena's treason, the Dark Lord wants all of her family dead. You should warn them too." 

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Mr. Snape, for your cooperation and your information." He put the owl's letter in his pocket and rose from his seat. "I'm sorry to break this off rather abruptly, but this letter is urgent, I must leave now. Could we meet on another day to talk about details?" 

"I'll stop by when I can without arousing suspicion," Severus answered. "One last thing: Your plan to get me as teacher and have the Dark Lord believe I was spying on you won't work because he has already a new source of information at Hogwarts. I don't know who it is, if professor or student, but until you stop this leak, the Dark Lord won't see any need to send me to Hogwarts. Once you solved this problem you could put an ad in the Daily Prophet about seeking a new Potions professor. Add some requirements that not every halfway skilled pill roller can fulfil. The Dark Lord will surely rise to such an opportunity and order me to apply for the job."


	16. Kidnapping

_(February 1996)_

Jon visited his mother in the infirmary daily for as long as she stayed there. Her condition slowly improved, and after a week had passed, she woke up from her coma. It turned out that she wouldn't suffer any lasting damage, thanks to Severus Snape's endeavours to keep the Bludger away from her and Madam Pomfrey's healing skills. 

Once awake, Serena didn't tolerate that Jon or Harry or someone else sacrificed their sleep to watch over her. She didn't mind Spike's nightly company, but Jon had no choice but to limit his visits to the hours between lessons and curfew. 

"As flattered as I feel by the attention you bestow on your old sick mum, I'll give you hell if I should hear that your performance at school deteriorated because of this," she told him firmly. 

Lack of sleep and neglected homework had already resulted in a slight drop of Jon's marks. Determined to get them back to his usual level before she left the infirmary, Jon took his book bag with him at the next visit, combining the need to do homework and his urge to watch over his mum. But doing his homework in her company did not prove to be the best idea he ever had. Serena made a habit of checking his essays, and she always pointed things out to him that could do with more details, additional research, or a better explanation. As a result, he needed twice as much time to finish his homework. Admittedly, this additional work had a beneficial effect on his marks, but Jon didn't deem this extra improvement worth the amount of effort needed to gain it. Especially as these marks weren't that important in his opinion, all that counted were the results of the O.W.L. tests, and they were still a few months away. 

The improved security measures in and around Hogwarts seemed to work. There hadn't been another attack yet, so Jon began to like the thought that his mum was safe and he wouldn't need to guard her at every single spare minute. 

He contemplated shortening his visits to the infirmary in favour of doing his homework later, alone, and spend only as much effort as he deemed necessary. But a few days later, just when he finally decided to do so, the alarms went off, announcing that someone was trying to enter Hogwarts grounds without being authorised. They didn't manage to get in, though, and fled before the staff arrived at the scene. Nevertheless, Jon dismissed his considerations and didn't cut down on his visiting time. 

This alarm affected Serena too. Subconsciously, she had known it all the time, but now the fact sunk into her conscious mind that surviving the Bludger's attack wasn't the end of Voldemort striving to take revenge on her. She acknowledged that he might succeed someday and made a mental list of things she deemed essential for Jon to know. Deviating from her usual behaviour of keeping important information to herself, she shared these things with Jon before something could happen to her and she would take the information to her grave. 

The biggest item on her list was the fact that Severus Snape was Jon's father. Serena wasn't the only one who knew about this, but she rather told Jon herself than having him learn it from someone else. Jon surprised her by taking the news in a much more composed manner than she had expected. Of course she didn't know that it was already too late for him to hear it from her instead of someone else, and that he had already had quite some time to get used to the fact. 

Four weeks after waking from her coma, just as the Christmas holidays began, Serena checked herself out of the infirmary, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's vociferous protests. 

"I can't stand it any longer! _Serena, you must take things easy! Serena, drink this disgusting potion! Serena, wait until your back's healed completely! Serena this, Serena that!_ " she complained to Jon, who saw her to her private quarters, mimicking the matron's voice. "If it wasn't for you holding me back on some occasions, I'd already have hexed her into next week for always bugging me! What's she a _mediwitch_ for, if I'm confined to bed for longer than a patient in a Muggle hospital!" 

She was still paler than usual, though, and Jon didn't miss the slight limp with which she walked out of the infirmary. But he noted with relief that it disappeared during the following days and before the turn of the year, his mother was her old self again. 

During the first week of January, there was another failed attempt of an unknown person to enter Hogwarts grounds. Since the alarms didn't go off again after this day, Jon hoped that whoever had tried it had given up on their plans. 

But not everything improved that nicely. The relationship between his mum and Snape remained as frosty as ever. One day, Jon found her pacing up and down in her office, angrily muttering expletives under her breath, along with the name of the Potions Master. 

When he asked her for the reason of her agitation she confirmed his suspicion. In preparation of resuming her teaching, she had visited Snape in his lab and asked him for a summary of what he had taught in the Defence lessons that he had taken over while she was in the infirmary. Trying to sort things out and maybe do a step towards repairing their friendship, she had thanked him for saving her life. Then she had talked to him about Jon and her reasons for not informing him that he had a son. She had even apologized for not mustering up the courage to tell him as soon as Dumbledore had confirmed to her that Snape had turned his back on Voldemort. 

Snape had wordlessly listened to her. When she had finished her speech, he had finally answered. He had made it perfectly clear that he didn't plan to change his attitude towards Jon one iota just because he was related to him. On the contrary, he was firmly set on ignoring that fact rather adamantly. After being excluded from his son's life for fifteen years, he didn't deem any additional paternal influence crucial to Jon's auspicious development. The boy was almost grown up, and Serena had certainly made all possible mistakes in bringing up a child by now, so there wasn't anything he could do about it anyway. 

Serena hugged Jon tightly, saying in an apologetic tone that Jon shouldn't get choked up about his father's lack of interest in him. The news of having a teenaged son was certainly a shock, and perhaps Severus would come to his senses after he had more time to get used to it. 

Jon silently prayed that Snape didn't; the last thing he wanted to do was to spend more time with this sour, ill-tempered grouch. And it looked as if his wish was fulfilled. Snape didn't show any change in attitude towards Jon. After the start of the new term Snape kept getting at Jon just like before, criticising trifle things because he couldn't find real mistakes, and deducting points for misbehaviour because he couldn't deduct them from the impeccable potions. But sometimes, Jon caught Snape watching him and his work with a strange look, as if he felt pride in knowing that Jon had inherited his exceptional Potions talent from him. 

The temperature dropped below freezing in the middle of January. The weather was too frosty to enjoy being outside, so the students were stuck in the castle, desperately trying to find ways to distract themselves. It didn't even snow, which further limited the possible pastimes. 

In an attempt to improve the general mood, Serena set up a weekly Dueling club. Much to the students' chagrin, she didn't ask Snape to assist her in demonstrating new spells as Gilderoy Lockhart had done three years ago. Serena was a bit more skilled than Lockhart, and many a student would have liked to see Snape being hit by a particularly nasty curse. 

The bitter cold stayed for an entire month, before the first warm rays of sunshine managed to make the thermometer climb above freezing again. But the rise in temperature brought only a short-term improvement of the weather. A heavy rainstorm was brewing, and it would get pretty nasty before the weather got better again. 

Not caring about the weather outside, Hermione, Jon, and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room, busy with schoolwork. The crackling fire in the hearth created a cosy atmosphere, but the boys couldn't quite enjoy it. Hermione had insisted on them doing their homework, firstly thoroughly and secondly without her help. So the boys had been occupied with an essay for Potions about the multiple uses and potential dangers of Erumpent horn for the better part of the evening. Hermione's behaviour reminded Jon uncomfortably of his mum. It seemed as if he was doomed to making his homework as best as it could be, whether he liked it or not. 

After finally finishing, Hermione had badgered them into practising for the next day's Charms test. Ron groaned when he got another rebuke from Hermione for not doing the swishing and flicking of his wand carefully enough. 

"It works, so it's good enough," Ron insisted stubbornly. 

"It's not. They are only minimal deviations, but they can lead to random results with more complex charms. You should pay more attention to the way you flex your wrist," Hermione argued. 

Ron rolled his eyes, but did his next flick with more accuracy. 

Watching them, Jon enviously thought of Harry, who currently didn't have to suffer Hermione's obsessive cramming. He was at the Dueling club, and undoubtedly was having much more fun than Jon or Ron. 

Ron hadn't felt much inclination towards attending the club; he wasn't keen on having Jelly-Legs Jinxes and other dreadful things being hurled at him for the entire evening. This was exactly what had happened the last time, and thanks to Harry, Ron had wobbled about in a much undignified manner for a whole five minutes before Serena had released him with a counter-curse. Jon himself had never been to the Dueling club. He had had so many private Dueling lessons from his mum; it was enough to last for the rest of his life. Hermione had regarded it more important to prepare extensively for tomorrow's Charms test than practising the Shield Charms that she had already mastered in their Defence lessons. So Harry had gone alone that evening. 

While Hermione checked on her list of what else was to be practised, Ron muttered under his breath to Jon that wobbling legs were probably better than swotting up his Charms with Hermione. Jon nodded in consent, seriously considering giving the club a try when it took place the next time. 

"Okay, Hermione, that's enough," Jon said. "My brain has reached its maximum fill level. What I don't know now, I won't learn before tomorrow either. Time to enjoy the evening, to relax, and not worry about schoolwork for the rest of the day." He demonstratively shut his Charms book and leaned back luxuriously in his armchair, clasping his hands behind his head. 

"But we haven't even touched on -", Hermione began to object, but was cut short by Ron. 

"I agree with Jon. Take it a bit easier, Hermione. It isn't an O.W.L. test, after all." 

The mention of O.W.L.s worked like a conditioned reflex on Hermione ever since the fifth year had begun. She pulled an alarmed face and, muttering about not having done her daily stint of O.W.L. preparations, she dived into her bag to retrieve a thick heap of notes. Then she absorbed herself in the study and memorisation of the notes, any admonishment for the boy's lack of enthusiasm about homework forgotten. 

Crookshanks and Spike were curled up in front of the hearth, dozing. When Jon leaned back, exposing a book free lap, Spike briefly looked at him, considering following this unspoken invitation and demanding his daily share of affection, but then he decided that his current position was too comfortable to move and carried on dozing. 

"So, do you already have someone to go with to the Valentines Day dance?" Ron asked Jon, not quite succeeding in sounding casually. 

"Not really. The only one I'm interested in doesn't want to go with me." He pulled a crestfallen face, casting a meaningful glimpse at Hermione, who was still immersed in her notes. If she had noticed it, she didn't let it show. 

Ron frowned. "So you've asked her behind my back! I knew it! You're trampling on our agreement to keep a low profile around her." 

"C'mon, I wasn't backstabbing our agreement. When I saw her rejecting your invitation, I thought it wouldn't do harm if I tried it too. You asked her first, by the way, which means you broke it in the first place." 

Hermione let out an annoyed gasp. "Could you please stop talking as if I wasn't here? And could you also stop discussing me as if I was the last piece of cake on the platter and you're trying to decide who's getting it? As I said before, I won't go with either of you; I'd go with Viktor, but he isn't here. So I won't go to the feast at all." 

"Ok, why don't we go as friends, not as a date?" Jon suggested. 

Hermione shook her head. "Not a good idea -" she began, but was distracted by Crookshanks who hissed angrily, staring at the portrait hole. 

A group of first years had opened the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, entering in an animated chat. At their feet, a grey, fat rat peeked over the threshold, its black button eyes watchfully eyeing the large orange cat and its black-and-white companion. After a few seconds the rat turned and scurried off. Crookshanks dashed towards the portrait hole. Spike curiously followed him, but before they reached the door, it was shut again. Crookshanks scratched vigorously at the back of the portrait while Spike meowed for Jon to let them out. 

"Nope, Spike," Jon said, shaking his head, "I won't open the door for you. It's too late to go out. Besides, there's a storm coming, not the best weather for an outdoor stroll. And if Filch catches you roaming the castle, he won't be nice to you, he's still holding a grudge against you." Jon clapped his lap. "Come here for a little scratching session, that's more fun!" 

Spike didn't come, though, and Crookshanks didn't leave the door either. 

"You're too obsessed with rats for your own good," Hermione reprimanded her cat. "Just because Ron's rat was a disguised murderer doesn't mean that every rat is. I won't let you go hunting a student's pet." She put her notes on the table and got up with a sigh to take him away from the door. 

She had almost reached him, when the portrait hole swung open again and Neville entered. Both tomcats seized the opportunity and slipped out, making Neville stumble. As if the rat had been waiting for them, it was still sitting in the corridor. Seeing the cats coming after it, it let out a frightened squeak and shot down the stairs, both pursuers hard on its heels. 

"Crookshanks, Spike, no! Come back!" yelled Hermione, but she was completely ignored. Jon jumped up from his armchair and together, they hastened out of the common room to capture their pets and bring them back before curfew began. 

Occasionally seeing a black tail with a white tip rounding a corner or hearing fearful squeaks, Jon and Hermione followed the chase and before long they found themselves in the Entrance Hall. The large oak front portal was ajar and they glimpsed a blur of orange fur disappear through the door. 

"Merlin's warty nose, who left the portal open this late!" Jon cursed, catching his breath. He opened the door a bit wider and vainly tried to make out something in the darkness. 

"We can't follow them, we aren't allowed to leave the castle after dark," Hermione reminded him. 

"But I'd rather not leave them outdoors tonight. You know, the storm." 

The wind had already freshened to an extent that the rustling leaves of the trees in the Forbidden Forest could be heard at the Hogwarts entrance. No stars were to be seen; thick, dark clouds obstructed the sight of them. 

Jon muttered, " _Lumos_!" and held his wand out of the door. The light cut a small sphere of luminosity into the darkness, but didn't reveal anything of Spike and Crookshanks' whereabouts. He cast a glimpse at Hermione, who bit her lower lip, indecisive as to what weighed more: the obligation to follow rules or the unwillingness to leave her pet in a rainstorm. Not waiting for her to come to a decision, Jon checked that no one saw them and slipped out. 

He alternately called for Spike and Crookshanks, but neither cat answered his calls. Pulling his robes tighter around himself, he crossed the lawn in front of the castle, trying to deduce which way they had gone. Soon he became convinced that he wouldn't find them by just staggering around in the darkness. Jon had just resolved to attempt an Accio Spell, even if he didn't exactly know where Spike was, when he suddenly heard a cat yelping in pain. The sound came from the Whomping Willow, not far from him. He stumbled forward, fearing that the violent tree had hurt one of the cats. 

Suddenly Jon spotted a chubby figure in front of him, but it was too dark to recognise the person. He had Spike lifted up, holding him by his tail, which had caused the cat to utter its yelps. Crookshanks was hissing and incessantly circling the dark figure, trying to find a good spot to attack. 

"Hey!" Jon shouted, believing it was a student who was in front of him, "drop my cat, you're hurting him!" 

"Ah, there you are, at last," the other one answered. "I've been waiting for you, Jonathan Potter. Regarding this beast -" He shook Spike who let out another painful meow. "- I'm afraid that I can't just let it go. It attempted to eat me, impertinent creature! Look!" He stepped closer to Jon and pointed towards his ear with his free hand that seemed to be covered by a silver glove. His head became slightly lit as if his finger was a torch, and Jon could see that it wasn't a student - looking too old and having a bald patch on his head. The man's ear was crusted with drying blood. 

"It was a close call, I transfigured back just in time to prevent myself from becoming _your_ cat's dinner." The man now pointed his silvery index finger at Jon's chest, as if to lay special emphasis on the fact that it was Jon's pet and thus Jon's fault. "It deserves a severe punishment, don't you think so?" The man's small eyes, which reminded Jon profoundly of the rat's dark button eyes, narrowed and darted venomous glares at Spike. 

Jon had never seen this man before, and yet he had the feeling that he knew who was standing there. Short, chubby figure, bald patch, beady eyes, a silver hand - a pang of panic shot through Jon when he remembered Harry describing him. This was Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, Ron's former pet rat in his Animagus form, the Death Eater who had delivered Harry's parents to Voldemort, who had murdered Cedric Diggory, and who had provided the Darkest of all wizards with a new body. Jon wanted to hex Wormtail into the next century, wanted to scream blue murder to alert everyone at Hogwarts, wanted to grab Spike and run away - but he realised with a shock that he wasn't able to do anything; he couldn't move at all, not even speak. 

Wormtail grinned. "I see in your eyes that you've figured out who I am. Well, don't worry, I'm not here to kill you - not now, at least. Let go of your wand, you won't need it anymore." 

Jon felt an invisible force opening his fist, bending open one finger after another until his wand fell to the ground. The light on its tip went out as it fell from his grasp. He was tied up, the same way as he had been three months ago in Hogsmeade, with ropes that shot out of the tip of Wormtail's finger and pulled tight around Jon's body. 

Crookshanks, deciding that now was the moment to interfere, jumped at Wormtail and climbed onto his back, scratching and spitting at him. Wormtail let go of Spike and picked the attacking animal from his shoulder blade. He hurled Crookshanks forcefully away, cursing, because his ear had started to bleed again. 

Spike bestowed Wormtail with an angry hiss for treating him so rudely and then turned to follow Crookshanks, his injured tail hanging down and trailing on the grass. 

"Oh, no, you won't go, you're still to receive punishment," Wormtail snarled. " _Avada Kedavra_!" 

A blinding flash bathed the surroundings in a ghostly green light before it hit Spike and everything became shrouded in darkness again. The power of the curse made the cat do several somersaults before landing hard on the ground, already dead. 

"No! Spike!" Jon screamed, realising that Wormtail didn't control his body anymore. Because of the ropes, however, he was unable to achieve anything more than yelling. "How could you! You... you asshole! You killed Spike!" Against his will, hot tears shot from his eyes and burned down his cold cheeks. 

Ignoring Jon's outburst, Wormtail produced something from the inside of his robes. After fumbling with it for a while, he fastened it to Spike's collar. As Wormtail knelt beside the dead body of Jon's pet, an orange blur of fur suddenly emerged from the darkness and leapt at Wormtail again. Crookshanks managed to place a few scratches across the Death Eater's face that would undoubtedly hurt a lot more than his ear. 

Cursing, Wormtail reached for Crookshanks, but couldn't grab him because the cat was too fast. Incensed, he cast a second Killing Curse, but missed the scratching cat. Crookshanks made a dash for the Whomping Willow and vanished between the tree's roots at the very moment that another green flash erupted from Wormtail's silver hand. 

After Crookshanks' disappearance, Wormtail got up again and walked over to Jon, who vainly tugged and pulled at his bonds. 

"Oh no, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Wormtail said with a threatening growl underlying his words. He closed his silver hand around Jon's neck with such force that Jon couldn't breathe and stopped wriggling. However, Jon got the impression that these words weren't directed at him. The next sentence confirmed it. "If you don't drop your wand, silly girl, your friend has just breathed his last breath!" 

Jon wanted to scream a warning at whoever was there, wanted to tell that it was nothing but a bluff - that Wormtail had said earlier that he wouldn't kill Jon. But the clamp at his neck didn't allow more than a noise that sounded so much like a death rattle that Jon stopped it immediately, frightened out of his wits. 

In a rapidly blurring vision, Jon recognised Hermione, stepping closer and letting her wand fall to the ground. She had apparently decided to fetch Crookshanks and Spike before the storm completely broke loose instead of following the rules, and had left the castle as well. The green flashes and Jon's screams had certainly given her a pretty good clue as to where she would find him in the darkness. Unfortunately, Wormtail had noticed her before she could attempt anything to help Jon. 

Wormtail grinned maliciously. "My, my, look what I got! If this isn't Potter's Mudblood friend, the little witch who's too smart for her own good. My Lord will be delighted!" 

Hermione had recognised him as well and burst out, baffled, "You? How could you get on Hogwarts grounds? There are security charms..." 

Wormtail chuckled. "Oh, you mean the ones that don't let in any uninvited guests? Well, it's undoubtedly advantageous to be able to turn into a rat that unsuspecting children deem to be cute and happily welcome on Hogwarts grounds." His chuckling subsided and was replaced by an annoyed snarl. "Some stupid little girl bound a pink ribbon round my neck and called me Dotsy. I mean, how a stupid is that name? And I had to endure her disgusting affections for four long hours before she left me alone for a moment and I could slip off. So don't try anything stupid, I'm not in the best of moods!" 

As soon as Wormtail was finished tying Hermione up the same way as Jon and silencing both so they couldn't scream for help, he muttered, " _Mobilicorpus_!" and steered them a little way into the Forbidden Forest. He stopped in front of a particularly large tree and bent down, retrieving an empty bottle from the weeds under its roots. It turned out to be a Portkey that brought Wormtail and his captives away from Hogwarts just as the first raindrops began to fall. 

* * *

When Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room it was almost empty. Ron sat in an armchair, _Quidditch through the Ages_ in his lap, his head bent slightly backwards. Soft snoring noises escaped his open mouth. There were more open books and heaps of parchments spread about the table. Harry surmised that the two empty armchairs had been occupied by Hermione and Jon. 

He shook Ron's shoulder. "Ron, wake up!" 

"What? I'm not sleeping, Professor, I'm only thinking... Oh, hey, Harry." Sleepily, Ron rubbed his eyes. 

Harry collapsed in a free armchair. "The Dueling club was great, I wish you'd been there! Serena showed us how to reflect curses." He grinned blissfully. "Malfoy sent a hex at Crabbe, not thinking that Crabbe would be able to reflect it at the first try. But, to everyone's surprise, Crabbe did, and Malfoy sprouted blue feathers all over his body. Serena tried to help him out of his misery, but Malfoy couldn't tell her the counter-course because his mouth was full of feathers too. It took her almost twenty minutes to find a working counter-course on her own." They broke into laughter, Harry at the memory, and Ron at the image. 

"I suspect," Harry added, "that Serena could have come up with this counter-course a great deal faster. That it took her so long was probably her way of taking revenge for what Malfoy did in the Three Broomsticks." 

"And I missed it, blimey!" Ron frowned in annoyance at himself. "I swear I'll come with you again the next time. Hermione forced us to learn for the Charms test. She was constantly criticising my swishing and flicking." Ron rolled his eyes. "This wasn't half as much fun." 

"Speaking of Hermione, where is she? And Jon? Their books and parchments are still here." 

"Crookshanks and Spike jumped up and dashed out as if something had bitten them. Jon and Hermione followed them, to get them back before curfew." Ron snorted. "As irritating as Pig can be, at least he returns by himself." 

"If they want to be back before curfew they're too late. It began a minute ago," Harry said. 

"It's already that late?" Ron cast a glimpse at the wall clock above the hearth and frowned. "They left over an hour ago." 

"I hope nothing's happened to them. Maybe we should go looking for them?" 

Ron nodded in agreement. Harry headed towards the stairs to the boy's dormitories to fetch his Invisibility Cloak. 

Half an hour later Ron and Harry still wandered the various corridors of Hogwarts without finding so much as a trace of Hermione, Jon, or their pets. 

"Maybe they went outside?" Ron suggested. 

"After dark?" Harry doubted it, but said, "Let's check anyway, just in case." 

They descended the stairs towards the exit. When they came near the Entrance Hall they heard an excited, deep voice speaking that belonged to Hagrid. Stopping at the threshold of the last flight of stairs, they peeked down. 

Hagrid stood in the brightly lit Entrance Hall, talking to Professors Dumbledore and Snape, the former listening with a most serious expression, the latter standing with arms folded in front of his chest and wearing his usual unfathomable mask. Serena was also there, sitting on the bottom step of the stairwell opposite of the one where Harry and Ron stood. Her stare was glassy; she didn't seem to notice anything of what was going on around her. Harry recognised Spike lying on her lap, motionless, with his head and limbs hanging down, like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Tears glistened in Serena's eyes and she absentmindedly stroked Spike's black, wet fur. 

"... an' I followed Fang's bellows an' found Spike," Hagrid told them. "I said 'Spike, yeh shouldn' be outside in this weather! Yeh better come in!' But he didn' come. When I lifted him up I noticed that he was all cold an' limp. An' I found two wands and this." Hagrid stepped to Serena and pulled a crumpled piece of parchment out of her clenched fingers, handing it to Dumbledore. 

" _Serena Potter_ ," the headmaster read out loud. " _Come to my castle, tomorrow at midnight, and bring your nephew Harry Potter along. If you fail to do so or if you should bring anyone else, your son will meet the same fate as his pet. Lord Voldemort. PS: This also applies to Hermione Granger._

"Hmm, the last sentence is in a different handwriting, as if added later," Dumbledore concluded. 

"Whoever took them probably only had planned to get Serena's son. When they also got hold of Miss Granger, the kidnapper adjusted the already prepared note," Snape speculated. 

Harry gasped. Voldemort had killed Spike and kidnapped Jon and Hermione? And he wanted Harry or he would kill them. This explained Serena's absent state. She certainly was out of her mind with worries. 

Hagrid cast an uneasy look at her and continued, "I went straight fer the castle an' I ran into Professor Potter comin' from the Duelin' Club. I showed her the note. She's been miles away since then, poor lass. I sent Fang to yer office, Professor Dumbledore, because I didn' want ter leave her alone, not when she's like this. I'm sorry ter have interrupted yer meeting with Professor Snape, though." 

"Never mind, Hagrid," Dumbledore assured the half giant. "You did exactly right." He took a deep breath. "So you found the dead cat on Hogwarts grounds?" 

Hagrid nodded. 

"This is not good, absolutely not," Dumbledore muttered, stroking his beard. 

"It's impossible to put up perfect barriers. There's always a way to bypass every single one of them," Snape said. "But there's still a big difference between entering Hogwarts grounds and entering the castle. If Mister Potter and Miss Granger had abided the rules and not gone out after dark, they'd probably still be here. After their return, a suitable punishment should be very much in order." 

"Greasy, nasty git," Ron whispered angrily. "Jon and Hermione have been kidnapped and all Snape's interested in is how to punish them for getting out after dark." 

"Yeah, as if being held hostage wasn't punishment enough," Harry agreed and fell silent again to listen at the conversation that had carried on. 

"An' what are we ter do now?" Hagrid was asking. 

Everyone except Serena looked at Dumbledore. 

"We cannot fulfil this request, that much is clear. We need to think of a way to rescue them. And I would prefer to keep this to ourselves for the moment; I don't want to worry the students overmuch. We must also find out how the kidnapper could get on Hogwarts grounds, so that we can close this security gap." 

"D'yeh know where that castle is? How 'bout goin' there now, while You-Know-Who isn' expectin' us, an' savin' Jon an' Hermione," Hagrid suggested. 

"It's not that easy. We don't know where the Dark Lord's hiding at the moment," Snape answered. "The castle that this note refers to was once his headquarters, but it's deserted now. He's certainly not there; the castle isn't safe for him anymore. Aurors tracked it down and destroyed it after his downfall." 

"Bugger," Hagrid answered. "It's a real pity that You-Know-Who knows that yeh were spyin' on him, Professor Snape. Yeh could easily have found out where they were if he still were trustin' yeh." 

"I'm not sure if it was easy," Snape replied dryly. "But you're right, this isn't an option." 

Ron gave Harry a baffled glance. "You-Know-Who knows that Snape was a spy? Then how on earth was he able to rejoin the Death Eaters this summer?" 

Harry looked equally clueless. "I don't know. Apparently he didn't. Maybe he's secretly watching them from afar?" 

"I think that someone will wait there with instructions how to get to the real party," Serena joined the discussion below. 

"I agree with her," Snape said, nodding in consent. Then he added, "I think it's safe to assume that the Dark Lord doesn't plan to set them free. He's using them for bait. When he's got what he wants, he'll kill them all. If they're even still alive." 

"Jon isn't dead, I'm sure. Lord Voldemort's a sadist. He'll certainly want me to watch my son die," Serena said, her voice choked with emotion. 

An uneasy silence followed, finally broken by Dumbledore. "Serena, you should go to the castle, as requested in the note. When they take you to the captives, we will follow you secretly and free them. We could use your Invisibility Cloak, and I think, Harry wouldn't mind lending his one to us for a night." 

Snape cast Dumbledore a surprised look, but didn't comment on the news of Harry owning an Invisibility Cloak. Instead, he frowned. "I'm not sure if Invisibility Cloaks are of use against the Dark Lord. There're rumours that he can see through this disguise just as well as you, Headmaster." 

"They still give us an advantage we should not neglect. However, we should endeavour to stay out of sight of Lord Voldemort, just in case." 

Harry groaned inwardly. He had already suspected that Dumbledore could see him under the Invisibility Cloak, and now Snape had confirmed it. He motioned to Ron to crouch lower, hide behind the banisters in case Dumbledore should look upwards. 

"They won't take me anywhere if I come without Harry," Serena objected quietly. 

"I could pretend to be Harry," Dumbledore suggested. "Severus, do you happen to have by any chance Polyjuice Potion ready at your disposal?" 

Snape shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't. And brewing it would take too long." 

"Then a Confundus Charm must suffice to convince them that Serena brought Harry along." 

Snape looked doubtful about this plan. "This may work with one or two Death Eaters, but it won't deceive the Dark Lord." 

"It doesn't have to. As soon as they take Serena to the real destination, we will follow her, find the students and Apparate away with them. Very quickly. Before they know what is happening, we are all safely back at Hogwarts." 

Serena put Spike aside and got up. Now that they were working on a plan to rescue her son, she stripped off the despair. Life and determination returned to her eyes. "This plan's certainly worth considering. There are weak points, though. Firstly, I don't have my cloak anymore. I lost it years ago, so one Invisibility Cloak must suffice. Secondly, how are you going to follow me? I doubt that a Locating Charm would work; they aren't difficult to detect." 

"Valid points, but no show stoppers," Snape interjected. "Number one, your Invisibility Cloak isn't lost. When you broke into the Dark Lord's office, I followed you. I took the cloak, and I still have it." 

"Maybe that's how he's still spying on the Death Eaters, under Serena's Invisibility Cloak!" Harry whispered to Ron, answering Ron's earlier question. 

Serena cast Snape a strange look, sudden realisation dawning on her face. "You were there? Did _you_ take me to St. Mungo's?" 

Snape nodded. 

She seemed lost for words momentarily, but then she snapped irritably at him, "I've been here for about six months already. When did you plan to give it back to me?" 

Snape ignored her outburst and continued, "Number two, I'm able to follow you wherever you go. Like I did back then." 

"Indeed? How?" Dumbledore asked curiously. 

Serena arched an eyebrow at Snape's statement. "I'd also be very much interested in knowing that." 

"It's your hair clasp. It's enchanted with a modified Locating Charm. Since you're always wearing it, I can always find you. The charm isn't detectable, at least not easily - you can check for yourself if you like." 

Serena pulled the clasp from her ponytail and eyed it suspiciously. Pointing at it with her wand, she muttered, " _Revelio_!" The lynx moved a bit around and then went still again. She muttered a few more spells, but a strained frown indicated that she didn't like the outcome. 

"All I can find is the Sticking Charm that holds the clasp in place, and the transfiguration that allows the lynx to move," she finally admitted. 

While Dumbledore examined the clasp, she spat at Snape, "And I thought we'd been friends! But you spied on me, bewitched my belongings so that you could trail me!" 

"I didn't spy on you. And it wouldn't be for you to call the kettle black anyway! You never told me about you working for the Ministry. Or your fling with Malfoy! And who knows what else you kept to yourself!" Serena's frown deepened, while Snape continued, "After placing the charm, I changed my mind and didn't follow you when you slipped away. Not until I saw you with the key from the Dark Lord's office, wondering what you were up to. Luckily for you, as this saved your life. And now it can save that of your son. Maybe you should be a bit more grateful!" 

"He's still _our_ son!" Serena sputtered. "And of course I couldn't tell you that I wasn't a loyal Death Eater! But I'd never invaded your privacy like that!" 

Before the exchange between Snape and Serena could escalate into another vociferous argument, Dumbledore interrupted them. 

"This is indeed an extraordinary spell, Severus. How am I supposed to locate this clasp?" 

Snape took a deep breath, making an effort to calm down, and then turned his attention towards Dumbledore. "Not at all. Only the caster of the spell can follow its signal." 

"So I should cast such a charm myself." 

"Unfortunately, plastering Serena with several Locating Charms is no option, they'd interfere with each other and we could lose her completely. I could Apparate you there, though, when I follow her." 

Hagrid had wordlessly followed the conversation while he comforted Fang. The dog was sniffing at Spike every now and then, tail hanging low, and whining softly. 

But now he stood up and asked, "Since yeh can Apparate only one chap with yeh, shouldn' yeh be more than two for the rescue team? I mean, yer two are takin' away Hermione an' Jon, but who takes Serena back?" 

"I can Apparate very well on my own." 

"Without wand? I s'ppose they want yeh ter hand over yer wand before takin yeh ter Jon." 

"This is very likely indeed," Dumbledore concurred with Hagrid. 

"You're hidden under the Invisibility Cloaks, there must be a way for you to retrieve my wand and slip it back to me, so I can Disapparate too. And if not, one of you could come back and get me," Serena suggested. 

"I don't know." Disapprovingly, Snape shook his head. "The plan will only work if we strike suddenly, before they realise what's going on. We should all disappear at the same moment. If the Death Eaters get a chance to react, if it comes to a battle, we're hopelessly outnumbered, with little to no chance of survival." 

Serena scowled at Snape. "Do you have a better idea then?" 

"We have twenty-four hours to come up with a better plan," Dumbledore cut in. "But first we should get some sleep. No matter what we decide, we'll need to be fresh and rested. Tomorrow night will be a long night." Marking the discussion finished, Dumbledore turned towards the stairs. 

"Lets beat it, before Dumbledore sees us," Harry whispered and urged Ron to get up. Together, they hurried back to Gryffindor tower, heading straight for their dorm. 

Harry lay awake long after that. Tossing and turning, he couldn't get his mind to rest, which was a prerequisite to falling asleep. Instead, he stared at Jon's empty bed, or at least in the direction where it was behind the veil that the darkness had spread over everything. 

Where were Jon and Hermione now? How were they feeling? Were they hurt? Scared? Would he ever see them again? Shuddering, he remembered his last encounter with Lord Voldemort. He had only just escaped with his life, luckier than Cedric. A new aunt and cousin with interesting stories to tell and strange things happening to them had managed to take his thoughts away from the horrid experience at the end of last year. The number of nights with nightmares about graveyards, piercing red eyes, and Death Eaters had decreased distinctly. But if he should find any sleep tonight, the nightmares would be back. He was sure of it. 

* * *

Harry wasn't the only one suffering from insomnia. Serena lay in her bed, also wide awake and worrying about her son's wellbeing. Their plan was far from being perfect and she dreaded that it wouldn't work. Even if they should miraculously succeed, Lord Voldemort wouldn't give up so easily. Jon would still be in grave danger. She needed another plan, something that would ensure not only Jon's current survival but also an end of Voldemort's enmity. 

Her mind was reeling in its desperate attempts to come up with a solution to this dilemma. She wouldn't hesitate to do whatever was necessary to save her son. But what could this be? Lord Voldemort wanted to kill Jon and her to take revenge for her betrayal. If she offered him something that he craved more than revenge... Suddenly it hit her. She knew exactly what to do. A smile crept over her face, ousting the worried frown. 

She rose from her bed and threw on a robe. Then she got into a pair of particularly soft slippers and did something that she hadn't done for years - she sneaked about the castle of Hogwarts at night. She cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself and left her quarters. Of course the curfew didn't apply for staff, and no one could have reproached her for being out after hours, but she'd rather not have anyone notice what she did. 

She hurried towards the library, as stealthily as she could, and entered the Restricted Section, where she looked for a certain book. Reminiscences of her sixth year, when she had been a regular guest here, rose to the surface of her mind. To avoid unpleasant surprises, she had mostly ignored books that were enchanted. But this one book had stirred up her curiosity. It had been by far the most secured book in the whole library. Not even the professors were allowed to get it without the headmaster's permission. She hadn't even seen it at first. Only the charm that made magic visible had given away that there had to be something. While the most enchanted books had glowed in a rather dim blue gleam, this one had given a glaring light like an over-decorated Christmas tree. 

Even after she knew that there was a book, she couldn't simply take it off the shelf. It had taken Serena the better part of sixth year to get past all charms, hexes, and spells that protected it. When she finally held the ancient tome in her hands and skimmed through it, she saw why it was so heavily secured. The book described the Darkest of magic, atrocious rituals that could only be performed by the most powerful wizards, and spells so bestial that merely knowing of their existence probably sufficed to be put into Azkaban for good. 

The volume was still where it had been so many years ago. Serena hadn't dared remove it from the library back then. Tonight she would do it. She still remembered how to overcome its protections. Before she began, she checked if new enchantments had been added since her last visit. Apparently no one had deemed this necessary. After successfully removing the protective spells, Serena tucked the book under her arm and hurried back to her quarters. 

* * *

Harry gave up on trying to sleep at six in the morning. He had dozed off once or twice, but neither long nor deep. He felt tired and hoped that a hot, strong coffee would change this. When he put on his clothes, he heard Ron's voice, "Wait, Harry, I'll come with you." 

Harry spun around, startled. "You're awake? It's six in the morning!" 

"I know. But I couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Hermione and Jon kept me awake. Your tossing and turning wasn't helpful either." 

They were the first ones in the Great Hall. After emptying a big mug of coffee, Harry picked listlessly at his scrambled eggs. 

"I wonder if they'll tell us about the kidnapping," Ron said. "You heard Dumbledore; he doesn't want anyone to know about it. But we're their friends, we're bound to notice that they're missing. And if Dumbledore wants your Invisibility Cloak, he should tell you why." 

Harry gave a grunt of assent. He was occupied with his own thoughts and only listening with half an ear to Ron. 

He should talk to Professor Dumbledore. Not taking him to that castle would rouse suspicion, and unnecessarily risk Jon's and Hermione's lives. They couldn't leave him here just to spare him another encounter with the Dark Wizard. Sooner or later, Harry would have to face Voldemort again, whether he wanted it or not. At least this time he would face him neither alone nor unexpectedly. If Dumbledore's plan worked, he wouldn't even have to fight with him. He was only the bait. And maybe an ace up Dumbledore's sleeve if something should go wrong. Which was not unlikely, the plan seemed more than risky. 

"Hello! Harry, are you there?" Ron waved his hand in Harry's face to get his attention. When Harry's eyes became focused again, Ron asked, "What's with you? Have you heard anything of what I said?" 

"Sorry, Ron, I was thinking. I should tell Professor Dumbledore that I know what happened to Jon and Hermione. I should go with them tonight." 

"Are you mental? I mean, don't you think that the professors can handle this alone?" 

"Voldemort wants me. What if he's so pissed off when I don't come that he kills Jon and Hermione straight away?" 

"And what if he's so fed up with you always escaping him that he kills you on the spot as soon as you arrive, just to be on the safe side?" 

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't think so. He's waited for so long to get me, he won't spoil his triumph through rushing." 

"But delivering yourself to You-Know-... I mean Voldemort?" Ron's face paled from the mere thought about it. "Maybe they've already found a better plan and don't need you at all." 

"I suppose, I'll learn that when I talk to Professor Dumbledore." 

Ron sighed. "Okay, if you insist. But I'll come with you, I also heard everything yesterday." 

The empty corridor with the stone gargoyle, the entrance to Dumbledore's office, was on the second floor, as was Serena's office. Just at the moment Harry and Ron left the staircase, they saw Snape entering the Defence professor's office, with both hands cautiously carrying a bottle that was filled with a transparent fluid. 

He didn't close the door behind himself because his hands were full. Harry couldn't resist his curiosity and hurried to the door, closely followed by Ron. Pricking up their ears, they eavesdropped again. The conversation inside was well on the way to become another argument, the voices displaying a considerable amount of hostility. It seemed as if Snape and Serena couldn't help it but quarrel when they were together. 

"That's none of your business. Just put it on my desk and get lost! Don't you have something to do? Like giving lessons, grading papers, or picking on students?" Serena's voice sounded irritably. 

"Don't bother to thank me for the ingredients," Snape spat back. "And I daresay it is my business. I'm going to risk my life tonight to save your... _our_ son, after all. I should know what you're planning." 

"No one's forcing you to come with us. If you think it's too dangerous then stay here!" Serena retorted. 

"You bloody well know I didn't mean it that way! Besides, this liquid is not without danger. If you drop the bottle, it'll destroy the entire floor. Do you really need that much?" 

"No, not if I succeed in brewing that potion at the first attempt. And it would help my concentration immensely if you leave and stop irritating me!" 

"Why don't you just tell me what potion you need? I'm sure I can make it without putting Hogwarts in danger of being blown up. Besides, there's no potion that contains both of these ingredients. You can't safely combine Erumpent horn liquid and dragon blood. Don't you remember the mnemonic rhyme about it?" 

"Mnemonic rhyme?" Obviously, Serena didn't remember. 

Snape recited a small verse that was apparently meant to serve as memory aid. 

" _Dragon blood, or serpent fangs,_  
_or frog toes as ingredients_  
_are never good with Erumpents._

"Professor Godpot made a point of teaching us these rhymes so that even people like you remember at least _something_ about potions, but evidently you're a hopeless case!" 

Serena didn't sound as if she took Snape's remarks to hearth when she answered, "Don't fret, I know what I'm doing. And stop lecturing me, I'm not one of your students! The potion's not for you, so as I said before, it's none of your business. And now let me prepare my next Defence lesson." 

Snape sighed. "Oh well, if you insist on wasting time and ingredients in an attempt on your own before you realise that it's beyond your abilities and beg me for help, by all means, do so. But I'd kindly ask you to do this outdoors. I'm sure, most students and staff members would appreciate it very much if you don't blow up the castle again." Snape's sour tone was dripping with sarcasm. 

The boys didn't hear Serena's answer, though, because behind them sounded another voice, "Did no one tell you that it's not good manners to eavesdrop?" 

Harry and Ron spun around, startled. Dumbledore stood in the corridor, gazing sternly at them. 

Ron looked ready to make a bolt for it. Harry pulled himself together and burst out, "Professor Dumbledore, we were just on the way to your office. We, erm, were looking for Hermione and Jon yesterday and found you talking about them in the Entrance Hall. I wanted to tell you that I'm willing to go with you if it helps somehow." 

Dumbledore scrutinised Harry, giving him the feeling as if the headmaster weighed up Harry's innermost depths. "This is quite brave of you," the older wizard finally answered. "Or you are not clear about the danger that you put yourself in. If anything goes awry, you could lose your life." 

"I know, and I don't care. All that counts is if it helps in the rescue of my friends." 

"Oh, how noble of you. And utterly stupid. You sound so much like your reckless father, now you're even pointlessly risking your life." Snape's voice was filled with caustic derision when he spoke to Harry. He had left Serena's office and had apparently heard a part of Harry's exchange with Dumbledore. 

Harry realised with a bit of a surprise that Snape's comment didn't rile him as much as he would have expected. Well, he was willing to face Lord Voldemort tonight. Snape couldn't get to him much in view of what else was awaiting him. With more boldness than he had thought himself capable of, Harry answered back, "To risk one's life for a friend isn't stupid! But that's something that you'll probably never understand. You don't even have friends, ever since Serena turned her back on you!" 

Snapes expression darkened. "Do not forget yourself, Potter! I'm still your professor and I will not be spoken to like that," he hissed. "You don't know what you're talking about. This is far too dangerous. You're staying at Hogwarts. End of story!" 

Serena, who had also left her office to see what was going on in the corridor, objected. "I believe it's imperative to have Harry participating. Lord Voldemort has demanded that I bring him along. If we use tricks instead of him, we risk Jon being killed the instant I arrive without Harry." 

"And not forgetting Hermione," Dumbledore added, giving Serena a brief but odd look. She nodded quickly, giving Snape the cold shoulder as answer to his scowl. 

"I agree with Serena," Dumbledore continued. "We shouldn't disregard Lord Voldemort's desire to get Harry. With Harry volunteering to accompany us, we don't have to rely on the effectiveness of a Confundus Charm. Of course it is risky for each of us, but without Harry, I deem the risk to aggravate Lord Voldemort and have our mission fail much greater." 

Snape's scowl intensified. "It looks as if I'm outvoted, then. Very well, take the boy with you; throw the rabbit to the snake! I hope that he won't turn out to be a millstone round our necks." He spun around and headed towards the stairs, his robes billowing behind him.


	17. Beginning a New Life

_(October 1979)_

Serena sat on the only bed in a small, white-painted room in the high-security ward of St. Mungo's. The bed consisted of a white metal frame and a white mattress, dressed with white sheets and a white pillow. There were a white table and a white wooden chair at the wall, right next to the white door. The nightgown she was wearing was white as well, and Serena wondered if some obscure society was collecting fees from hospitals if they dared to make their facilities any more colourful. Her pale face blended perfectly in the dreary surroundings. Only her rich black hair, pouring out under the brim of the dressing on her head, stood out in striking contrast. She had her back to the door and stared at the starry sky behind a barred window, lost in thought. 

When Lord Voldemort had raised his wand against her, she had expected to see a green flash drawing a line under her existence. The Killing Curse hadn't come, though, but another Cruciatus. Unbearable pain had burned through every fibre of her body for the second time that night. She had felt her flesh being torn off her skeleton by an overwhelming force, her bones splintering, and her blood boiling. She had screamed in utter pain, searing flames filling her lungs with every gasp for air, until her tormented body could take it no more and had graciously passed out. 

When she had woken again, she had been convinced that she was dead. She wondered briefly why heaven looked like a hospital, though. Her second thought had been that she might have landed in hell because she had never been particularly fond of hospitals after watching, as a small child, her beloved grandmother die in one. But the surroundings, albeit drab, didn't look terrible enough for hell. Finally, she had hit on the idea that she might still be alive, as unlikely as it seemed. 

But far from being delighted by this fact, Serena had fallen into a deep, dark hole of depression. Her work as spy was over and she had no idea what else she should do now. Lord Voldemort had certainly informed all Death Eaters of her betrayal and ordered them to kill her whenever they got a chance. Which meant that she had also lost Severus' friendship, this time for good. She couldn't ever see him again unless she was keen on being killed by the man who had once been her best friend. 

Only Albus Dumbledore had been able to get her out of her lethargy. He had visited her and given her the strength to go on. He convinced her that the end of her spying wasn't the end of the world. He gave her new courage, made her stop pondering the strange circumstances of her survival, and made her look forward again. Dumbledore showed Serena the light at the end of the tunnel. 

But then her hopes were brutally extinguished and she plunged back into the depths of misery in the course of only one afternoon. 

"Hello Serena, how are you?" a familiar voice interrupted her brooding. 

Serena turned to look at her visitor and immediately twisted her face in pain. Her left arm rested in a sling. The Healing potion she had been given hadn't finished its work yet, and the wound hurt at the sudden movement. Serena's eyes fell on Albus Dumbledore, who stood in the doorway and gave her a compassionate look. 

"How should I be?" she despondently answered, marvelling at Dumbledore's ability to always turn up when she needed someone to talk. "Whenever I think it can't get worse, it does." 

"I'm so sorry about your parents," Dumbledore said softly and stepped into the room. An Auror keeping guard at the corridor closed the door behind him. 

Serena gave a mournful sigh and turned back, resuming her staring at the window without actually seeing anything that was outside. With a low, scarcely perceptible voice she muttered, "It's all my fault. They wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for me." Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she made an effort to keep them at bay. She had already shed so many of them that she wondered how there could still be more. 

With a sniff, she continued, "Whatever you told them when you passed on the warning that Lord Voldemort was after them, it apparently made them think. And they decided to see me. I guess they wanted to talk things out - try for reconciliation perhaps. But of all days they chose the one when a Death Eater sneaks into the hospital and attempts to blow me to pieces." 

Her tears refused to stay confined to her eyes any longer and ran down her cheeks, while Serena poured her heart out to Dumbledore. He put the white, wooden chair next to her bed and sat down, then squeezed her hand comfortingly. 

"I hadn't seen them for so long! They still looked the same, only had more grey streaks in their hair and more wrinkles. Who knows, maybe because I caused them so many worries." Serena took a deep breath, guilt mingling with grief on her face. "I was seeing a healer for a last check before leaving the hospital. When a nurse brought me back, she told me that my parents were there, waiting for me. I almost couldn't believe it. Then she opened the door, and suddenly the world exploded. After the dust had settled down, I saw my parents. And wished I hadn't. My very last memory of them now will be how they lay dead and covered in blood among dust covered rubble, looking grey and wrinkled." 

Violent sobs interrupted her speech. Dumbledore consolingly patted her unhurt arm, silently waiting until her weeping subsided. 

"Why?" Serena asked after a while, looking at her former headmaster as if he knew the answer. "Why did they have to wait in my room while I wasn't there? Why are they and the nurse dead and I'm hardly scratched?" 

"Perhaps you have a particularly efficient guardian angel." A twinkle appeared in Dumbledore's eyes, daring Serena to lighten up her mood, to discard her sepulchral attitude and face the future instead of brooding over things that she couldn't change anyway. 

Serena shook her head. "Maybe it wasn't coincidence that my parents were killed instead of me. Since they had gone into hiding, coming to St. Mungo's was the perfect opportunity for Lord Voldemort to murder them. Perhaps I'm still alive because the knowledge that it's all my fault is a punishment worse than death." 

Dumbledore gripped Serena's shoulders, turning her toward him, until she looked up and met his intent gaze. "Listen, Serena, your parents' death is tragic but it isn't your fault," he said with the most serious voice she had ever heard of him. "You didn't kill them; you had no way of knowing what would happen. Don't blame yourself, and don't let this stroke of fate drag you down." He released her from his grip and added, "There are more important matters that need your attention, after all." 

Serena hung her head again, absentmindedly giving her stomach a stroke. "You mean, changing nappies and feeding a baby?" Another sob escaped her throat. "Mum and Dad would certainly have been delighted to hear that they were about to become grandparents." 

After her arrival at St. Mungo's in a rather bad condition five days ago, Serena had been thoroughly checked by the healers. The check-ups had revealed that she wouldn't suffer any lasting damage, but also that she was pregnant. 

The news had been a shock to her at first, but soon Serena had started to like the thought of becoming a mother. Suddenly she saw a meaning in her life again - a new task that would keep her busy enough not to miss her old life too much. Serena found herself looking forward to raising her baby, despite all the adverse circumstances. After all the trouble with her parents and her brother, she found the idea of her own little family quite appealing. 

It wasn't difficult to figure out whose child she was expecting. Feeling a bit guilty, Serena remembered Moody's scepticism as to whether living under the same roof as the enemy would work out or not. Serena had claimed that she could handle the situation with all due care, and that she didn't consider Severus as an enemy, but as her friend. This statement had only served to irritate Moody even further. She had reassured him that she wouldn't let her feelings get in the way of her work, and that she wasn't prone to a deepening of their purely platonic friendship. 

The growing life in her belly told another story. Serena was greatly relieved when Albus Dumbledore didn't show any disappointment upon learning of her pregnancy. He had seemed to be genuinely glad for her, and she had, against her initial decision, told him about Severus' role in creating this new life. But she had also made him swear that he wouldn't tell anyone about it, least of all the father in question. 

Serena didn't want Severus to know about his child. He was a Death Eater, after all. The last thing she wanted was to have her child raised as a Death Eater in training, and learning about the Dark Arts before walking. 

"How is your baby?" Dumbledore asked her. Serena could see in his eyes the sincere hope that the explosion hadn't claimed a fourth victim. He seemed to be afraid that after the loss of her parents, she wouldn't be able to deal with the loss of her baby as well. 

"It's okay. A healer said I seem to get more than the usual share of luck, because my baby wasn't hurt, not through the Cruciatus and not today." She sighed. "Perhaps your theory about a guardian angel is right, after all, but it's not mine, it's the wee one's." 

"It's good news in any case. Concentrating on your child will certainly make it easier for you to cope with the bad blows." 

"Speaking of bad blows - I actually found myself looking forward to having a child. A child who loves me just because I'm its mum. Who doesn't ask what I did or do, who doesn't judge me. But it looks like I'll be denied even this little joy." 

Dumbledore cast her a questioning gaze. "What makes you think so? If anyone discouraged you from raising a child on your own, don't listen to them." 

Serena shook her head. "Oh no! No one said anything." She took a roll of parchment from the nightstand that bore the seal from the Ministry of Magic and showed it to Dumbledore. "It arrived shortly after the explosion. As if I didn't have enough sorrows already." 

The letter was from the Investigation Department, informing her that she was to stay at St. Mungo's until her trial would take place in a week's time. Attached was a copy of a warrant of arrest with her name on it and an indictment. 

"The Ministry found evidence that I was present in several of the houses where entire families have been murdered by Death Eaters. They took some sort of magical fingerprints from the remnants of the curses in the houses. These fingerprints matched with me. Now I'm going to be charged with multiple murders and the repeated use of illegal curses, including all three Unforgivables. They'll certainly convict me, which means that I'll spend the rest of my life in Azkaban. Which isn't a suitable place for a baby." Serena heaved a dejected sigh. "Didn't you wonder why I'm locked up in the high-security ward now?" 

"I assumed you are here because this is the safest place in St. Mungo's. No Death Eater can get in here. It took me half an hour until I passed through all the security checks and was admitted to enter. They even took my wand, although spells wouldn't work in this ward anyway." 

Dumbledore glanced at the letter again and shook resolutely his head. "This trial won't happen. I'll personally see to that." 

"Yeah, that was my first thought as well, after reading the letter. Albus Dumbledore will sort it out. I'm innocent, so nothing can happen to me. But the evidence is overwhelming. I was there, I cast the curses. They found plenty of dead bodies. I even have a Dark Mark. No one in their right mind would acquit me." 

"They would, if they knew what you really did. If we present the court with -" 

"No, we can't," Serena interrupted him, not sure if their conversation was as private as it appeared or if it was listened in on. "You remember the prophecy, don't you? It's imperative that we keep our mouths shut, or we can make Lord Voldemort Minister for Magic right away." 

Dumbledore grew silent. Serena was right. And she knew that he knew it. If Voldemort heard that a good number of his victims weren't as dead as he believed, this alone would suffice as reason for him to go after them. Certainly he would draw the same conclusions about the prophecy, assuming that one of those people could be what the prophecy called the Sun. And he would do everything to kill them, because the death of the Sun would mean his ultimate victory, his final dominion over the wizarding world. 

"However, I will find a way. I won't let you down; I won't let them send you to Azkaban," Dumbledore promised before he left. 

* * *

During the following week, Serena clung to Dumbledore's parting words, repeatedly telling herself that he never broke a promise. Every time the door to her room opened, she expected him to walk in and present her with a solution to her precarious situation. But it was always someone else; Dumbledore didn't show up. 

At the evening before her trial, when she had already abandoned all hope of seeing Dumbledore before the hearing took place, Serena finally received post from him. A nurse stuck the letter through a slot in the door, grousing about owls usually arriving in the morning and this untimely letter disturbing her timetable, according to which she should be handing out dinner and not letters. Serena ignored her grumbling and complained that the letter was already ripped open. The nurse only shrugged her shoulders, laconically commenting that it was security regulations, and Serena should be glad that she got letters at all. 

After scowling at the nurse and then at the slot in the door after the nurse was gone, Serena sat down on her bed and inspected the brown envelope. It was a bit too heavy for an ordinary letter. The use of an envelope itself was already unusual; wizards normally just rolled their letters up and sealed them. She turned the envelope upside down and shook it. Besides a neatly folded piece of parchment, the envelope also produced a pink greeting card. 

Serena unfolded the parchment first. It took her only a minute to read the rather short letter from Dumbledore, which consisted mostly of apologies. Firstly, Dumbledore apologised that he couldn't visit her personally to comfort her, but his presence at the Halloween feast at Hogwarts was required. Secondly, he apologised for not having been able to make a deal with the Ministry of Magic to drop the charges against her in such a short time. Finally, he told her that the entire staff had signed the attached greeting card, wishing her the best for her baby and luck for tomorrow's trial. 

Serena lowered the letter, deeply disappointed. Dumbledore's promise to not let her down had kept her going for the last seven days. The prospect of spending the rest of her life in Azkaban hadn't impressed her overmuch, because she hadn't believed that she would really be going there. She was innocent, she didn't deserve this, and she trusted Dumbledore to find a way to spare her this fate. 

But life wasn't fair, and this letter proved that Dumbledore was only human and not above the law. Serena took another deep breath, trying to keep calm. He hadn't been able to prevent the trial. That wasn't the same as sending her to Azkaban. There was still the chance to be acquitted. Maybe Dumbledore had found a brilliant defence for her. He wouldn't let her go to Azkaban, he never broke his promises. Ever. Like the promise not to spread the news about her pregnancy? 

Serena suspiciously eyed the greeting card. How could the staff know that she was expecting a child, if not from Dumbledore? And why should they send a greeting card to her of all people? The card was ugly, pure unadulterated kitsch. Three miniaturised sunflowers, looking as if they were real, magically shrunk sunflowers, decorated the front. Small hearts, stars, four-leaved clovers and pictures of chubby, naked baby angels were littered about the surface between the flowers. Exactly the type of tasteless knickknack that Serena wholeheartedly despised. 

Hesitantly, she took the card, wavering between reading it or throwing it immediately into the wastebasket. The very moment that she touched it, the sunflowers started sprouting strange extensions. Startled, Serena dropped the card. Instantly, it became normal again. Was this some magical enhancement to make this horrendous thing even kitschier? 

Serena stared at the card for a whole minute during which it didn't do anything other than lie still on her bed, looking innocent. At last she picked up the bottom corner like a dead rat, touching the smallest possible part of the card with her fingertips, and pushed it open. Again it began to change, but again she missed the undoubtedly cheesy supplement because the card became normal as soon as she let go of it, which was after less than a second. The inside was as disappointing as the outside - it only contained a few empty greeting phrases and undecipherable signatures from the Hogwarts staff. 

Having managed to drop her mood beyond the lowest it had ever been, Serena decided to throw the card away. At that moment the door opened and the Auror who guarded her room all day long put his head in. He gave the room a brief once-over, then bestowed what was supposed to be a threatening glare on Serena and nodded towards the nurse in the corridor. Serena folded her arms in front of her chest and didn't move; after a week in the high-security ward she knew the procedure. She also knew that the Auror was supposed to watch her, in case she suddenly decided to attack the nurse or make a bolt for the door - and not to ogle the nurse who only seemed to possess robes that were too small for her and which conveyed a distinctive impression of the shape of her full breasts and her rounded bottom. 

The nurse brought a tray with dinner and put it on Serena's nightstand. Fully aware of where the Auror's eyes were, she wiggled her bottom with every step. On her way out, her eyes fell on the card on Serena's bed. Without so much as asking for permission, she took the card and read it. Serena didn't bat an eyelid when she noticed that the card didn't change, but her heart did a few extra beats. Maybe there was more than just another annoying addition to the greetings. 

"What an ugly thing," the nurse commented contemptuously, dropping it back on the bed. Then she left the room, and the Auror locked the door behind her. 

As soon as Serena was alone again, she took the card and watched the inner parts of the sunflowers turning into something very un-flowerlike that she couldn't quite identify. Curiously, she opened the card again. Right in front of her eyes, the greetings vanished and a totally different text appeared. 

_Serena,_

_I promised not to let you down, and I will keep my word. Since I couldn't find a legal way out for you in this short time, we will have to put up with an illegal interim solution._

_This card will provide you with everything you need to get out of St. Mungo's. It is enchanted to react on your thoughts. It will answer all your questions about your escape._

_I will wait for you a little way down the street and take you to a safe place after you have left the hospital._

_Albus Dumbledore_

That was it. Serena turned it over to see if something was written on the backside, but there was nothing. She opened the card again, wondering how it was supposed to answer her questions. 

The text swam in front of her eyes and formed a new sentence. 

_Just think of a question and you'll see the answer here._

Surprised, Serena looked at the card, being oddly reminded of the Sorting Hat, which was also able to hear the thoughts of the people who wore it. 

_'Well,'_ she thought, _'let's try it. What about those flowers on the front? They're weird.'_

The last answer became blurred and gave way to new words. 

_If you look a bit closer at them you'll see that they're bottles. Two of them contain Polyjuice and the third one is filled with a strong Sleeping Draught._

Serena turned the card again, and behold, two of the sunflowers had sprouted bottlenecks with screwtops. The third one had become soft and a nozzle formed on it to let out its content when the flower was pressed. Serena put the card down and the extras vanished, leaving only three innocent-looking mini-sunflowers. Impressed, Serena reopened the card and thought about her next question. 

_'Is the Polyjuice meant to change my appearance, so that I can walk out without being recognised?'_

_Yes, it is._

_'But I can't take it, I'm with child. No one knows what happens to my baby if I change my form.'_

The card didn't answer to this, and it took Serena a few seconds to realise that she hadn't phrased it as a question. 

_'What happens to my baby if I take the Polyjuice?'_ she tried again. 

_In this early state of your pregnancy your baby won't be harmed. Your baby won't be affected as long as you don't change into a man, because males have no organs to accommodate a foetus._

_For this reason you should wait until eleven p.m. before starting to carry out the plan. The healer who's responsible for you will go home then. The night shift is done by a mediwitch. If you take on her appearance you can walk out of the hospital without anyone hindering you._

_'But it still won't work. This is the high-security ward, there're alarms at its exits that detect such disguises. How can I bypass them?'_

_Not at all. You won't take the Polyjuice in here._

So it went on for quite a while. Serena asked questions and the card answered them. It gave her a detailed description of how the potions were supposed to get her out. 

When the nurse returned to remove the dinner tray, Serena caught a glimpse of the wall clock at the corridor, which said that it was about ten. She lay down on her bed and began to silently count. After counting up to sixty for sixty times, she hid the greeting card in her panties and started to scream for help. 

The slot in the door opened and her guard gazed into the room. 

"What's with you?" he asked, looking annoyed about the disturbance. 

"Oh, this pain!" Serena wailed. "My abdomen, oh, it hurts so much!" She pressed her hands on her lower belly, writhing as if in incredible agony. Serena even managed a terror-stricken expression when she added, "My baby - something's wrong with my baby! Please, get a healer, quick! Ohhh!" 

The Auror instantly disappeared, only to return a minute later. He picked Serena up from the bed and sat her in a wheelchair that he had brought with him. 

"I'll take you to treatment room three; the nurse is already getting the healer-in-charge. Put your hands there." He pointed at the armrests of the wheelchair. 

Serena obeyed, but not without pulling a grimace as if she had great difficulties to let go of her aching belly. The Auror used handcuffs to fasten Serena's wrists to the wheelchair. After checking them for correct fit, he pushed her out of the room. 

A force field all over the high-security ward prevented any spells from being successfully cast. This special measure was to ensure that inmates of the ward wouldn't be able to perform any magic, neither wandless nor with a wand that somehow got smuggled in. The other side of the coin was that healers couldn't efficiently work without being able to cast Diagnostic or Healing Spells, so the patients had to be taken out of the high-security ward for treatment. 

Serena continued to groan and cry softly until they reached the treatment room just outside the entrance to the high-security ward. The healer-in-charge, a motherly mediwitch, was already there. Her dark blonde hair was thoroughly streaked with grey, but with only a few wrinkles around her eyes and mouth she looked less than fifty. 

"Hello, dear. I'm Healer Smethwyck. What's your trouble?" she asked in a friendly tone that surprised Serena. It was no secret that Serena had been accused of multiple murders and was awaiting a trial. Consequently, the hospital staff didn't treat her particularly friendly. The fact that Serena was with child, but without husband, didn't help their attitude towards her either. The mediwitch, however, didn't know about this, or didn't care. 

Serena felt immediately sorry for what she was planning to do to her. But it couldn't be helped; this was her only way out. 

"My lower belly," she answered, groaning, "It hurts so much. Please, I don't want to lose my baby..." 

The mediwitch answered in a reassuring tone, "Calm down, dear, panic won't help you at all. Now tell me, where exactly does it hurt?" 

"Here." Serena tried to tap on a random spot at her lower body, but could only reach her side with her handcuffed hand. When Smethwyck frowned, Serena added quickly, "And the other side to. And the front. In fact, everywhere." She moaned, continuing to look a picture of misery 

"What kind of pain is it? Stinging? Burning? Throbbing? Did you bleed?" 

"Erm, stinging? And, erm, no, I don't think so..." Serena started to worry that her incompetent answers would give her away, but Smethwyck's reply dispelled her fears. 

"Well, no bleeding's a good sign. It's probably only ligaments stretching, this can hurt a lot. You should have seen me with my first child - I could barely get out of bed sometimes during the first trimester and was worried to no end. But my little Hippocrates has turned out quite a sight. He's becoming a healer-in-training at St. Mungo's next month." Smethwyck smiled, obviously pleased with her son's choice of career. "I should like to look at you a bit closer, though." She turned to the Auror. "Could you remove those handcuffs, please? I need her to lie down." 

The Auror opened the cuffs and after an insistent look of encouragement from the healer he helped Serena to get out of the wheelchair and sit on the examination table. He demonstratively positioned himself beside the table, wand drawn and ready to intervene as soon as Serena did anything funny. 

"Miss Potter, please take off your nightgown, I'd like to cast a Diagnostic Spell on your lower abdomen," Smethwyck said. 

Serena defensively crossed her arms in front of her chest and cast a bashful look at the Auror next to her. 

"In front of him? Is this really necessary?" she timidly asked. 

Smethwyck reacted exactly like Serena had hoped. "Okay, you wait outside," she told the Auror resolutely. 

The Auror shook his head. "No, my job is to guard her. I won't let her out of my sight, not for a single moment." He scrutinised Serena's pleading face and finally made a concession. "I will turn around, okay?" 

"And watch me through the mirror? That's not any better." Serena hunched herself up, as if attempting to become invisible out of sheer embarrassment. 

"C'mon, you're unmarried and pregnant, how modest can you actually be?" the Auror snapped. 

Serena cast him a look as if his comment had hurt her to the quick. "How can you say that? You have no idea of the circumstances that led to my condition." She hung her head with a crestfallen expression, leaving it to him to draw any, most likely wrong conclusions from this statement, which would hopefully trigger some sympathy. When he still appeared unmoved, Serena screamed out as if a new wave of pain shook her body. 

Smethwyck ran short on patience and ordered the Auror now rather urgently, "By all means, go out! I'm sure I can handle Miss Potter alone. Look at her; does she give the impression as if she is trying to run away? As if she's even capable of doing so?" 

The Auror scowled at Smethwyck, but then cast a searching look around. The room didn't have a window nor any other doors. The only possible way to get out was through the door they had come in. 

"If you insist," he snarled. "I'll wait right outside. And make your check quick, Healer! I'll come back in ten minutes, regardless of whether you're finished or not." He cast Serena another warning glare and left, taking up position outside the room. The shadow of his head was clearly visible on the frosted glass of the panelled door. 

"And now take off your nightgown, dear," Smethwyck said to Serena, taking her wand out of her robe. 

Serena turned her back on the mediwitch, as if she was even too shy to take her clothes off in front of another woman and started to unbutton her nightgown. When it was open, she took the greeting card out of her panties, placing the spray-bottle-flower between her thumb and index finger. In a sudden move, Serena turned around, pressed the flower on Smethwyck's lips and sprayed the Sleeping Draught into her mouth. 

"What the heck -" was all the surprised healer could mutter before the potion took its effect and the witch slumped down, fast asleep. Her wand fell out of her grasp and clattered to the floor. Serena caught the mediwitch and heaved her onto the examination table. Then she tore the Polyjuice bottles off the greeting card and placed them beside the sleeping woman. She pulled a hair from Smethwyck's head and put it into one of the bottles. While the content of the bottle hissed and changed its colour to a murky orange, Serena did the same with her own hair and the other bottle. 

Raising Smethwyck's upper body, Serena poured the content of the second bottle into the healer's mouth and massaged her throat until she swallowed the potion. With fascinated interest, Serena watched the mediwitch getting smaller, her arms and legs becoming shorter, her hands shrinking, and her hair growing longer and darker. A minute later the spitting image of Serena lay on the table. 

Serena didn't have a watch and had no idea how many of the ten minutes that the Auror had given them had already passed. So she quickly switched Smethwyck's robes with her nightgown and swallowed the other Polyjuice Potion. The transformation hit her like a hammer. Her insides began writhing and for the first time this evening, Serena twisted her face in genuine pain. 

A knock on the door made her jump away from it. 

"Healer Smethwyck? Time's up, I'm coming in now," the Auror bellowed, while Serena hastily grabbed the greeting card and the bottles from the examination table and stuffed them into her robe. Not waiting for an answer, the Auror opened the door and stepped in. 

Serena put on a neutral expression, hoping that the transformation finished before the Auror looked at her. She was lucky, his interest was aimed at the patient - he looked at the still figure on the examination table instead of the real Serena, whose hair was still growing shorter and developing grey streaks. 

"What's with her?" the Auror asked, lifting his gaze and looking sideways at whom he considered to be the healer. 

In this moment the robes that had still been slightly too large for Serena, finally fit perfectly and the strange feeling of being not quite solid disappeared, marking the end of the transformation. 

"Well," Serena said, almost jumping at the strange sound that wasn't her own voice. "I couldn't find any serious disorders. I gave her a pain-relieving potion and a Sleeping Draught. You can bring her back to her room now." 

Serena stepped towards the exit, but the Auror still blocked the door with his huge figure. He didn't move aside, so Serena couldn't get out. 

"Excuse me," she urged him. "But I have other patients to see to." 

The Auror still didn't show any inclination to let her pass. He scrutinised the examination table, frowning. 

Serena wondered if he had discovered something suspicious. Hadn't she put the nightgown correctly on the false Serena? Had she forgotten to remove all parts of the greeting card? Had Smethwyck woken up? Serena studied the limp form on the table but couldn't see anything treacherous. 

"What's that down there?" the Auror asked, pointing under the table. 

Serena followed his gaze and froze. Smethwyck's wand lay on the floor. It had dropped to the ground when the healer had fallen asleep. Serena had completely forgotten about it, occupied with more pressing tasks. 

"Oh, my wand," she said. The embarrassment in her tone was only half-feigned. "There's this hole in my pocket, you know... It must've slipped through... I never find the time to darn it." 

She quickly dived under the table to retrieve the wand. Since it wasn't her own wand, it felt strange in her grip and her fingertips tingled unpleasantly when she slipped it into her robe. With a grunt she stood up again. This body was more than twice as old as her own and heavier too, not very well suited for crawling under furniture. She felt every single muscle and bone that was involved in the act of getting up from the floor. 

"I'd have missed it soon, no doubt. And then I would've searched for it all over the hospital," Serena muttered to the Auror. "Thank you for being so observant." 

The Auror gave a grunt of acknowledgement and finally made a step aside, letting Serena out. She headed towards the stairwell, glad to get away from the Auror who did his job a bit too well for her liking when nurse wiggly-bottom wasn't around. Serena forced herself not to hurry. The last thing she needed was to mess up now, when she was so close to getting free. 

But she had rejoiced too soon. Before she could leave the floor, she heard someone calling, "Healer! Please come quick!" 

Serena ground her teeth. What should she do now? If she didn't react to the call she'd behave suspiciously. But if she responded to medical treatment that she wasn't able to perform, it would blow her cover all the more. 

"Healer Smethwyck!" A young man ran up to her, the front of his robes covered in bloodstains. A sign on his chest read that he was a healer-in-training, but his name was undecipherable, veiled with blood. "We need your help, there's an emergency!" 

"I'll come in a minute. I need to have a look at another patient first, but then I'll come," Serena tried to brush him off, but the healer-in-training was insistent on her immediate appearance in the emergency room. 

"There's no time, your patient has to wait. Come on!" He practically dragged Serena away, while she was frantically searching for an excuse to leave. 

"My patient is really urgent, isn't there any other healer who can look after your emergency?" 

The young wizard shook his head. "No, of course not. This is the night-shift, and _you_ are the healer-in-charge." 

He pushed open a double swing-door and after stepping through, Serena stopped dead, staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of her. Her mind broke off its search for an excuse and concentrated its entire capacity on fighting the urge to faint. 

A man was lying on a stretcher in the middle of the room, covered in blood that was obviously his own, raggedly breathing and spitting even more blood. He was studded with countless smaller and bigger pricks, as if he had been attacked by a million aggressive giant bees. A couple of nurses and another healer-in-training were swarming around him, giving him vast amounts of Blood Replenishing Potion, repeatedly applying new dressings and trying in vain to stop him from bleeding. 

Whatever curse had hit him, it had not only caused the countless injuries but also prevented his blood from clotting. Red liquid incessantly poured out of his numerous wounds, draining him quickly. The dressings rapidly soaked with his blood, changing from white to crimson with a frightening speed. He couldn't drink the potions they gave him fast enough to compensate the rapid loss of blood. 

"His name's Wilkes," the wizard by her side informed her. "A Death Eater. Had a violent encounter with an Auror. Wouldn't come quietly, so they exchanged some nasty curses. He won't last much longer if you don't find a way to stop him bleeding like a stuck pig." 

He started to list what they had already attempted - spells, charms, and potions that would make blood clot, close wounds, accelerate the growth of new skin and several means that Serena hadn't heard of ever before and had no idea what they were good for either. 

Long before the healer-in-training finished his listing, Serena was certain that she wouldn't be able to help. She wasn't a healer; she had absolutely no idea what to do. Even if she had known it, she wouldn't have been able to do it properly with a wand that didn't belong to her. The sight of blood, spilled practically everywhere and on everyone, wasn't helpful either. 

Serena noticed the expectant gaze directed at her. The young man apparently awaited instructions. 

"Well," she began half-heartedly, trying to concentrate on an answer and not the sickening sight. "What about, erm, temporarily transfiguring his skin - or his blood vessels - into something - well - impermeable..." Serena trailed off, taking a couple of deep breaths to prevent everything from swimming in front of her eyes. Damnit, she thought, if the Polyjuice had given her the appearance of the mediwitch, why not also the strength of her stomach? A healer who couldn't stand the sight of blood - if this wasn't likely to blow her disguise, nothing was. 

Another problem came to her dizzy mind. If she passed out, there was a good chance that she might not wake up again before the Polyjuice Potion wore off. She needed to stay conscious at all costs. 

Serena closed her eyes to shut off the picture of blood everywhere. She was sure that she was as white as a sheet - a distinct and treacherous sign that doubtless gave her away as soon as someone found the time to cast a look at her. The floor was shaking beneath her feet when suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed her and steered her to a chair. Serena felt a refreshing breeze on her forehead and heard a male voice talk to her. It sounded as if he was calling to her from far away, but when she opened her eyes she saw his worried face right in front of her. Well, at least he obstructed Serena's view of the bleeding Death Eater. 

"What's with you, Healer Smethwyck? You look like fainting at any moment." 

"I swear, those pies I had for dinner tasted funny," Serena managed to mutter. 

Suddenly she noticed that the hectic activity had died down and most of the people left the emergency room. "What now? Has the bleeding stopped?" she asked. 

"However you look at it. Wilkes doesn't bleed anymore. He's dead." 

Someone spread a sheet over the man, covering him from toes to head, and levitated him out. Another young witch started casting Cleaning Spells around, removing the blood from the floor, the walls, and all other surfaces. 

"I... I'm sorry... If I'd helped him..." Serena whispered. 

"Don't worry," the healer-in-training said in a calming tone. "Merlin knows if you could have helped him at all. He'd already lost so much blood before he came here. It was a fight against time, and we lost. He lost. Well, it was his choice. He should have known what he was risking - duelling with an Auror. However, you'll want to take some Pepperup Potion or chocolate before the next patient needs you, Healer." 

Serena nodded and got up. "Yes, I will. I have some in my office." 

She left the emergency room as fast as she could without actually running. Hearing the door leading to the stairwells snapping shut behind her at last, she leaned her forehead against the cool metal of the railing and simply stood there for a while. When she felt better, she realised with a start that she had totally forgotten the time. She wasn't sure when she had taken the Polyjuice Potion, but it couldn't be long before it wore off. Hurriedly, she descended the stairs. 

When she passed the reception area, now dim, quiet and deserted except for the night-watchman, she felt a tugging in her limbs that could only mean one thing. The watchman confirmed her fears; he stared at her, at first confused, then frowning. He rose from his seat and reached for his wand. 

It was about a dozen steps to reach the exit. Serena threw all caution to the winds and broke into a run. Storming towards the door, she ignored the watchman's shouts at her to halt. The exit to the street was so close, she could make it - only five more steps and she would be out. 

She dodged a curse from the watchman that struck the wall in front of her. And only three steps to freedom. 

Serena saw herself already outside the building when she tripped on the hem of her robe. After the Polyjuice had worn off, Smethwyck's clothes had become too large for Serena's significantly shorter body. She lost her balance and fell flat on her face. Hitting the floor, she felt the impact of a Full Body Bind Spell, which made it impossible for her to get up again. 

Her momentum caused her to slide a bit further on the smooth marble floor. For a fraction of a second she even thought she would slide through the door, but she came to a final halt exactly in front it. Her outstretched hands almost touched the solid looking wall that wasn't solid at all. 

Serena cursed her bad luck. The exit was only one inch away and she couldn't get out! She could have cried out in frustration. 

The watchman came nearer, his wand cautiously drawn at her. "Looks like you won't go anywhere tonight," he said to her, rattling some magical chains. 

At that moment a hand reached from outside through the exit and seized Serena's arm. An abrupt jerk and the following sensation of being swirled around gave her hardly settled stomach a lurch. 

When she was back on terra firma, the ground beneath her wasn't the hard, smooth marble floor of St. Mungo's anymore, but cool, damp grass. She was back in control of her limbs and a hooded figure helped her to get up. 

When Serena recognised Albus Dumbledore, she gave him an enthusiastic hug. "Oh, Professor! That was perfect timing!" 

"Good evening, Serena. I was waiting for you, and when you didn't turn up, I went to investigate - which seemed to be a good thing. What held you up for so long that the Polyjuice Potion wore off in the meantime?" 

While Serena gave him a description of the previous hour, she looked around. The night was pitch-dark; not even the moon or stars were visible. Dumbledore's lit wand didn't reveal much besides the fact that they stood in a grassy clearing in a forest. 

Because she had arrived in a lying position, the front of her robe was soaked with dew. This and the cold night made her shiver. Dumbledore cast a drying charm on her and put a warm cloak on her shoulders. He had also brought thick socks and boots in her size, which Serena was especially thankful for because Smethwyck's slippers as such weren't at all suitable for keeping her feet warm. 

"If I hadn't impersonated Healer Smethwyck, perhaps Wilkes would still be alive. Perhaps she would have known a way to help him..." Serena finished her account, trailing off. 

Wilkes had been a Death Eater, and he certainly had never had any qualms about killing his victims. Still Serena felt guilty for not being able to prevent his death, when Smethwyck might have been. 

"This we may never know," Dumbledore answered benignly. "Perhaps she could have helped him, perhaps not. According to what you told me, his chances of survival had been less than poor. In all likelihood he would have died anyway." 

When Serena didn't answer, Dumbledore added, "Serena, I don't want to advise you to just put this incident aside and forget it. Even if he was a Death Eater, he was still a living human being. But don't burden yourself with the entire blame for his death, just because you might have unwittingly prevented Healer Smethwyck from saving him. There were plenty of other causes that contributed to his death, things you had no influence over. It was his choice to fight the Auror, it was the Auror who cast the curse - and it was me, after all, who suggested you impersonate the healer." 

"Yes, you truly surprised me. I'd never have thought that you of all people would fall back to illegal methods to gain a goal. Not that I'd complain..." 

Dumbledore sighed. "I would have preferred not to, but I just could not find any legal way to help you - and believe me, I have tried. I spent the last week visiting friends and meeting most of the Ministry executives. They were all very courteous to me, feeling flattered that I would ask a favour of them, but no one was able, or willing, to drop your charges or reach a settlement that spares you Azkaban without being given a convincing reason. My proclaiming your innocence was not convincing enough, apparently. My influence is unfortunately not as great as people believe. I also spoke with several people about your chances of being acquitted. They were all quite unanimous - they reckon that you will be convicted. Me vouching for you, but not giving reason why I deem you innocent would not be of much help, they said." 

"The evidence against me is overwhelming, I suppose," Serena muttered. She had cast those curses to make the fake crime scenes more authentic, and she had considered it a good idea then. But it had turned out that she had done herself a great disservice by leaving evidence of her presence there. But who would know that the Ministry had a brand new method of finding out the caster of curses by using their magical remnants in the air? 

"Unfortunately, yes," Dumbledore answered. "I had a long discussion with Alastor Moody, but in this short time, neither of us saw any other way to keep you out of Azkaban than helping you to escape from St. Mungo's and playing for time. We waited until the last night before your trial, still hoping that another possibility would present itself to us. But it did not, and so I sent you this greeting card. By the way, in case you wondered - the signatures are false, no one at Hogwarts knows about your condition." 

Serena pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders. The cold was even seeping through the thick material, making her shiver again. But the assurance that Dumbledore hadn't broken his promise gave her a warm feeling inside. 

"This card was a brilliant idea, but why was it _that_ ugly? Couldn't you find something less atrocious? I hated it at first glance and almost threw it away without recognising its secret meaning." 

"I chose this less-attractive card deliberately. I hoped that no one would feel inclined to look too closely at something that insults the eye to such an extent. Thus increasing the chances of it passing the security checks. And it worked, apparently." 

Serena was stunned. It looked like Dumbledore had spent much time and effort on her case. He had also risked a great deal for her. And she had doubted him, she thought ashamed. 

"The Ministry is certainly setting Aurors on my trail. They'll know that I had help. Since you were the only person who visited me in St. Mungo's - apart from my late parents - and you have quite actively campaigned for my freedom you'll be the primary suspect." 

Dumbledore regarded Serena with one of his typical looks, with a merry sparkle in his eyes that was even discernible in the dim light. "Do not worry, Serena, I have an alibi. Having Polyjuice Potion anyway, I gave some of it to Alastor, and he is attending the Halloween feast at Hogwarts in place of me right now. If someone should ask, plenty of professors and students will be ready to testify that I have not left Hogwarts for the entire evening." 

"And if someone saw you in front of St. Mungo's while you were waiting for me? Or before you Disapparated with me?" 

"I made a point of not being recognised, keeping myself hooded and in the shadows. But if anyone still saw me, they would have forgotten about it at the very next moment." 

"Wow," Serena uttered, impressed. She didn't know many people who were able to master the necessary spell. Unfortunately, she wasn't one of them. This would have helped her a lot, now that she was a fugitive from law. 

"With plenty of Death Eaters and Aurors on my heels I won't stay free for long," she expressed her thoughts. 

"I have taken this into account as well." 

Dumbledore went to the edge of the clearing, waving Serena to follow him. Curiously, Serena tagged along. He pointed towards a beech-tree and she saw that a couple had long ago carved a heart and their initials into the tree-trunk. The letters were scarcely decipherable anymore. 

"I have turned this heart into a Portkey. If you touch it, it will take you to Two Oaks, a small village in Iowa. Within a radius of about a hundred miles there is nothing but prairie, a few trees and rocks. Above all else, there are no wizards or witches except Henrietta," Dumbledore explained. "Henrietta Billings is a dear old friend of mine. Her husband died a few years ago and they did not have any children, so she feels a bit lonely. She would love to take you in her house and give a few of the empty rooms to you. All she asks you in return is to help out with the housework, because Henrietta is not as young as she used to be. She is a very nice old lady and I am sure you will get on splendidly together." 

"Who knows that I'm there? How safe is this place?" 

"Only I, and Henrietta of course, will know about your whereabouts. I took the liberty of placing a few charms on her house that will make it quite difficult for anyone to find you there. Alastor knows that you will be leaving the country, but not where you are going exactly. He will see to it that he will be given the task of recapturing you. And he will be doing his job very conscientiously, I'm sure. He will be combing Great Britain quite thoroughly for you." 

Again Serena could see the roguish twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. She was baffled. The old wizard thought of everything. 

"And once Lord Voldemort is defeated," Dumbledore added, "and we will not have to hide your spying anymore, I will see to it that your name will be officially cleared." 

Dumbledore rummaged through his pockets and produced a small bag. 

"Here," he said, placing it in Serena's hand. "This shall make the beginning of a new life easier for you." 

The bag gave a soft jingling sound when Serena took it. The weight indicated a considerable number of coins in it, and when Serena opened it, she noticed that they all shone golden. 

"Merlin, so many Galleons!" she cried out, surprised. "That must be more than I have ever possessed!" She looked at Dumbledore again. "I can't take this, it's too much!" 

"No, it is not. You need a new wand, and good quality wands are not cheap. You also need a lot of other things, since you are leaving with nothing more than the clothes you stand up in. Not to forget the baby clothes, crib, diapers, toys, and more, which you will need soon. And you earned this money. This is exactly the amount that would have been your salary as an Auror for the last sixteen months. It is not your fault that you were never officially hired by the Ministry of Magic in order to protect your cover." 

Serena grudgingly admitted to herself that it was most sensible to take the money. "Thank you very much, then." 

When she put the purse in her robes, her fingers brushed over hard wood. 

"Speaking of wands," she said, retrieving the mediwitch's wand. "This belongs to Healer Smethwyck. I'm sure she'd love to get it back." 

Dumbledore took it, nodding. "I will see to that." 

"I don't know how to thank you for all your help," Serena muttered quietly. 

"You did so much for others; it was high time that someone did something for you. Now go, find some peace, and take care of your child. And who knows, maybe we will meet again sooner than you think." 

For lack of eloquent expressions to describe her emotions, Serena gave the older wizard another tight hug. Then she put her hand on the beech tree, right on the middle of the heart. She felt a tug behind her navel cutting the ground from under her feet. Colourful, swirling spirals reached for her and took her away to another place in another country on another continent - and a new life.


	18. The Immortalis Spell

_(February 1996)_

The previous night's rainstorm had cleared the atmosphere. On his walk out of Hogwarts, Severus noticed the fresh smell of pine-needles filling the air. During the day, the sun had dried the rain and soaked up all clouds. The sky was clear and the full moon bathed everything in a soft white glow, bright enough that they could find their way without any additional lighting. 

"You should leave now," Professor Dumbledore said to Serena, breaking the broody silence. "It is midnight and we crossed the boundaries of the Hogwarts Apparition barrier a few seconds ago." 

Serena nodded grimly, her lips pressed together in a thin line. Her expression was deadly serious, displaying the tension that Severus felt. The typical bright glow of her eyes was replaced by a look of determined concentration. Harry, who was unusually pale, had kept close to Serena ever since their little group had left the school. None of them had spoken a word on their march down the path that eventually led to Hogsmeade. Only Dumbledore appeared as imperturbable as always. 

Serena gave Harry a questioning look. Harry briefly nodded and held his hands in front of him. Serena conjured handcuffs around his wrists and gripped Harry's shoulder. With a soft pop, they Disapparated. 

Dumbledore threw his Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders, so that only his head was still visible. Severus followed suit and concentrated on Serena's hair clasp. She was now in the deserted castle, in all likelihood being awaited by one or more Death Eaters. They would establish that she came with Harry and no one else, just as the Dark Lord had demanded, most likely check them for hidden charms, and then they would move on. As soon as Severus sensed that Serena had changed her location again, he would follow. But at the moment she stayed where she was. 

When Harry had joined their rescue team, Snape had explained to Dumbledore how to cast such a hidden Locating Charm, and Dumbledore had applied one on Harry's glasses. This had two advantages: Dumbledore could Apparate on his own, following Harry. Secondly, in case they brought Harry to somewhere different than Serena, the boy wouldn't be lost. 

"They have moved, and quite far," Dumbledore broke the silence again. "I can hardly discern the charm on Harry's glasses." He pulled the Invisibility Cloak above his head, which completely removed him from sight. 

Severus checked his perception of the hair clasp, startled, because he hadn't noticed it moving again. He still felt the signal clearly and distinctly. This didn't match with Dumbledore's remark. The ominous feeling that something had gone wrong woke in Severus' stomach. He opened his mouth, but before he could voice his concerns, Dumbledore spoke again. 

"Then let's go. Good luck!" The noise of air filling the space where Dumbledore had been a second before announced that the older wizard had left. 

Sighing, Severus pulled the cloak over his head, concentrated on the hair clasp, and, too, Disapparated. When he arrived at his destination, wand at the ready, he noticed immediately that his feeling of something being amiss hadn't been a delusion. He was in the ruins of Voldemort's castle; and he was alone. In front of him, reflecting the pale moonlight, Serena's hair clasp lay on the rocky ground. 

Severus picked it up and examined it. The Sticking Charm prevented it from simply slipping off. It wasn't damaged, so it must have been deliberately removed before they went on. And only Serena could have done it. The question was why? How likely was it that they had detected the charm and forced her to leave it behind, but then missed the one on Harry Potter's glasses despite knowing what to look for? 

Whatever the reason was, Severus could ponder it later. First, he had to come up with a way to find them. He thoughtfully rubbed his left arm, wondering if his Dark Mark would be of help. The Dark Lord had called his Death Eaters about an hour ago - Severus had felt his Mark burning. He had suggested following the summons and not waiting until midnight, but Dumbledore had objected. The headmaster believed that Lord Voldemort expected such a manoeuvre and that they wouldn't gain any advantage with it - only endanger the hostages' lives. Besides that, Dumbledore was convinced that Voldemort hadn't called the Death Eaters to the place where Jon and Hermione were kept. Most likely, Voldemort had summoned the Death Eaters to somewhere else to inform them of the actual meeting place. 

So they hadn't followed the call; and Severus and Serena both did their best to ignore the burning in their arms. After a while it had eased, and now, an hour later, it wasn't much more than a faint trace of the former summons. But as long as he could feel it, as long as he could concentrate on it, it should be enough to guide him. The only question was, to which place. 

At the end of the previous school year, when Severus had felt the Dark Lord's call for the first time after thirteen years, he had at first ignored it. A few hours had passed before he had left Hogwarts on Dumbledore's bidding and Disapparated, concentrating on the remnants of a hardly perceptible sting. To his surprise, he hadn't landed at the graveyard, where, according to Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort had touched Wormtail's Mark. Severus had landed in front of the Riddle House, the place where Lord Voldemort and Wormtail had been at that moment, ready to leave for a new, unknown hiding place. 

Severus hadn't been able to convince Lord Voldemort that his loyalty to the Dark Lord had never wavered. Lord Voldemort hadn't bought Severus' excuse that he hadn't been able to leave Hogwarts earlier without rousing Dumbledore's suspicion. The Dark Lord's response had been that if Severus was truly loyal to him, he would have brought Harry Potter with him, or killed the boy for his master already long ago. 

Severus had only just escaped, owing to Wormtail's clumsiness. The Dark Lord's servant had played around with his new silver hand. A spell to test its power had been much stronger than he had expected. Its force had almost knocked him over, making him tumble directly into the line between Severus and Lord Voldemort. This had saved Severus from another Cruciatus Curse and given him the fraction of a second that he needed to Disapparate. 

Aching bones, the realisation that he couldn't resume his spying among the Death Eaters, and pondering on other ways to follow them around to gather at least some information had occupied his mind too much to actually recognise the implications of this incident. But now he faced the question of what would happen if a Death Eater followed a summons after the Dark Lord had left the scene. Would they arrive at the place where the summons had been issued, or at the place where the Dark Lord had gone to? The fact that Severus had arrived at the Riddle House strongly indicated the latter. But then, the Riddle House hadn't been far away from the graveyard, still within sight of the cemetery, actually. 

Nevertheless, it was worth a try. 

Severus made sure that the cloak was hiding him completely before he tightened his grip on his wand and Disapparated, leaving it to his Dark Mark to control the course. 

When he rematerialised, he found himself standing just outside an ancient stone circle like the one in Stonehenge, but not quite as large. In former times, Druids had built a good number of such circles all over the British Isles. The special arrangement of the large blocks served to focus the inherent magic, which made these stone circles into places of great power. Muggle explorers had found out that these circles could be used as a calendar. They were built in such a way, that on special dates such as the summer solstice, the sun, moon, and stars created certain patterns of light between the stones. But of course the druids hadn't gone to such efforts to build huge calendars; this was more a useful side-effect from the way they arranged the stones to align them with the magic in a most effective manner. 

The circle measured about fifteen yards in diameter, bounded by triliths approximately ten feet high. But what Severus deemed more important was the sight of Death Eaters standing between the stones, forming a second boundary to the circle. 

So his theory was right, after a summons the Dark Mark led to the place where the Dark Lord was, not where the summons had been performed. Severus wondered if anyone else had found this out before. Most likely not, because what Death Eater would dare answer a call with so much delay that the Dark Lord had significantly changed his location in the meantime? Perhaps even Lord Voldemort didn't know about this effect, otherwise he would have spared himself the summons of his Death Eaters to a different place an hour ago. 

The Death Eaters had their wands drawn, aiming at the centre of the circle. Not every space between the stones was occupied, so Severus slipped closer to the circle, looking at what was going on inside through such a gap. 

The circle was lit by a strange glow, the source of which Severus couldn't make out. He saw a stone altar in the middle, and a stone table a few feet in front of it. If Severus still had any doubts that he was at the right place, they were dispelled now. Jon was lying on the table, tied to it with strong ropes. He was awake and stared wide-eyed at his mother. At least he didn't seem to be injured. 

Serena was kneeling in front of Lord Voldemort, and two Death Eaters behind her kept her in check with their wands trained at her. Wormtail was dragging Harry Potter with his silvery right hand towards the other side of the circle. He fixed the boy with ropes to one of the triliths, right next to Hermione Granger who was also tied to an upright stone. She was uncannily pale, but also awake and apparently unhurt. 

Earlier on, they had agreed to assign a student to each of them beforehand to avoid unnecessary confusion later. Dumbledore would take Harry because he had a bearing on him. Serena was responsible for saving Jon because she most likely would be closest to him. This left Hermione to Severus. Now that he knew where she was, he hurried around the circle to keep ready in her vicinity. Dumbledore, who had arrived before Severus, hopefully knew who kept Serena's wand. Severus couldn't ask him, because he didn't know where Dumbledore was and, of course, he couldn't see him. 

A quick check of the ropes that held Hermione in place revealed that they would easily be undone. He considered giving the girl a sign that help was near, but then decided against it. What if he startled her and she unintentionally gave him away? Instead he watched out for a sign from Dumbledore. 

After Wormtail was finished tying Harry up, Voldemort ordered with a slight nod in Serena's direction, "And now tie her to the altar. I want her to have the best view of the show." 

Although he was a couple of yards away and the Dark Lord had only spoken quietly, Severus could make out every single word. The acoustics in the stone circle were so excellent that he could even hear Lord Voldemort's rattling breathing. Severus had a good idea as to what the Dark Lord meant with 'show'. He would torture Jon and eventually kill him, and force Serena to watch it. 

The two Death Eaters hauled her to her feet and Wormtail began to drag her over to the altar, but she tore away from his grip, prostrating herself at Voldemort's feet. 

"Please, wait a moment! Listen to me, please!" she pleaded. 

Lord Voldemort held up his hand, stopping Wormtail, and condescendingly asked, "Listen to you? What would you have to say that is of any importance to me?" 

"Please, don't hurt my son! I know what I did was wrong, but I came to make up for it!" 

"Of course you'll make up for it. You'll watch your last relatives die and then you'll follow them. I think that the entertainment this spectacle will provide should compensate my disappointment upon discovering your betrayal." Voldemort gave a short, hollow growl. 

"Oh please, my Lord, forgive me! I beg you, spare my son! I'll return to your service - I still can be extremely useful for your cause!" 

"Indeed? What makes you think I'd want you? And why should I allow you to serve me, just to have you attempt to overthrow me again?" 

"I won't repeat my mistake. I was young and naïve, but I know better now! If I still wanted your position, I'd have had fourteen years to take it when it was vacant. But after you disappeared, I saw everything you had achieved dissolve into nothing in a truly short time. I saw many of your followers being sent to Azkaban. I saw the others who went free becoming esteemed members of the wizarding community, and no one could successfully continue your work." 

Serena cast a swift look at the Death Eaters lining the stone circle. "I realised that you aren't replaceable. It's _your_ name that people don't dare speaking aloud; it's _your_ sign in the sky that terrifies all witches and wizards beyond imagination. I learned my lesson; I know that I can't replace you. But I can be your most valuable servant, and by Merlin, I will if you let me. All I ask you in return is to spare my son!" 

"You would do anything to save him, wouldn't you? Such as telling me what you think I'd like to hear. Do you really believe it is so easy to gain my forgiveness? - No," Voldemort answered his own question, "you aren't that naïve. You have something up your sleeve. And I'll find out what." 

He stretched his arm out to Wormtail and gave him a demanding wave. The Death Eater rummaged hastily about his pockets and finally produced a small vial that contained a clear liquid. 

Lord Voldemort took the vial and held it at eye level. Rolling it between his thumb and index finger, he watched the clear liquid swirl. "Veritaserum - it looks so innocent and harmless, and yet it is such a powerful potion. Not to forget useful. I make a point of always having some of it at my disposal." Changing his almost casual tone into a sharp hissing one, he commanded Serena, "Open your mouth!" 

Serena obediently followed his order and swallowed a few drops of the potion. 

Severus silently cursed. While it had been a good idea to play for time, to tell the Dark Lord lies that were that obvious was not so smart. She had managed to arouse his suspicion and now the serum would force her to give them away. This would ruin the element of surprise and therefore the whole rescue operation. Severus moved closer to Hermione, aiming his wand at the ropes that restrained her, in case they had to leave rather abruptly. At that moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He spun around but couldn't see anyone. 

"Not yet," he heard Dumbledore's whisper. "Peter Pettigrew still has Serena's wand. If we leave now, we leave her and Jon to certain death. I will try to get her wand now; don't start anything until I return." 

The light pressure on Severus' shoulder vanished and Severus assumed that Dumbledore had left to enter the stone circle. He stepped to Hermione's side, keeping a watchful eye on the goings-on in the centre. 

The time for the Veritaserum to take effect passed, but instead of asking Serena a question, Lord Voldemort suddenly pointed his wand at Jon and cast a Cruciatus Curse. The boy began to violently twitch, although his ropes were tied so fast that they should prevent any movement. His screams pierced the air, intensified by the excellent acoustics. 

Serena opened her eyes wide in shock, and cried, desperately pulling at the hem of Voldemort's robe, "No! Please, stop it! Do with me what you want, but please, leave Jon alone! I beseech you!" 

Lord Voldemort ignored her pleading and spoke with a threatening growl towards a place vaguely behind her, "I won't lift this curse until you drop those ridiculous cloaks and surrender to my Death Eaters! I mean both of you, Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape!" 

Surprised, as far as this could be told of hooded figures with masks, the Death Eaters turned towards the empty spot that Voldemort had spoken to. They watched an elderly wizard with a long white beard, a purple cloak, and half-moon glasses appear out of nowhere. Upon recognising Albus Dumbledore, they quickly pointed their wands at him. The usual twinkle in his eyes was missing when Dumbledore handed his wand over to a Death Eater who had stepped up to him. 

One second later, Jon suddenly stopped screaming and began to choke instead. 

"He swallowed his tongue!" Serena shrieked, positively panicking. Her eyes flitted frantically all over the place, trying to make out the second invisible infiltrator. "Sev, drop that cloak, or Jon'll die!" 

Cursing under his breath, Severus removed his Invisibility Cloak. Several Death Eaters grabbed him, took his wand, and tied him to an upright stone near Hermione and Harry. The tight bonds cut into Severus' flesh, painfully reminding him that their plan had failed. 

After both had surrendered themselves, Lord Voldemort lifted the Cruciatus Curse and ordered Wormtail to help Jon. A flick with Wormtail's silver hand freed Jon's throat and the boy greedily gasped for air. 

"So, you brought reinforcements," Lord Voldemort spoke again to Serena. "This was a stupid move. You should know that Invisibility Cloaks cannot fool me." 

Severus frowned. So it was true, the Dark Lord was able to see through such cloaks. His comment sounded as if he was sure that Serena knew it. But why hadn't Serena warned them then? 

"Now tell me, what was your plan?" Voldemort demanded. 

"Well, _their_ idea was like this: They follow me, hidden under Invisibility Cloaks. Dumbledore somehow retrieves my wand and slips it back to me and then each of us grabs one of the students and we Disapparate. But of course I was aware that this plan would never work out, because you can still see them when they're invisible." 

"So you knew it!" Severus shouted, furious. "Why did you lie to us? Why did you sabotage our plan?" 

Serena's voice was totally devoid of emotion when she answered. Severus wondered if this was due to the Veritaserum, which somewhat muffled the drinker's emotions, or if Serena was just showing her true character, which didn't seem to care for them at all. 

"Because I wanted Dumbledore to come with me and be caught. I didn't need you; you shouldn't have followed me. That's why I left my hair clasp behind. But since you've found us, you'll die now as well. Bad luck for you." 

"Sounds as if you have a different plan than your friends," Voldemort said. "Tell me more." 

"Well, it's my son's life that's at stake. I'm aware that even if we had successfully freed Jon, you wouldn't stop coming after him, and after me." 

"You are perfectly right." Voldemort's hideous face distorted to something that was probably meant to be a malicious grin. 

"I believe that there's only one way to permanently protect Jon from your wrath. This would be to gain your forgiveness." 

"I'm agog to hear how you planned to contrive this." 

"I brought Harry to you. You could satisfy your thirst for revenge with him. If you want to punish a traitor, well, Severus Snape is now also yours. And I got Albus Dumbledore here, your arch enemy." 

Serena's voice had assumed a tone as cold as ice, and her eyes were lacking any of its usual warmth and sympathy. Severus felt a strange mix of triumph and disappointment. He hadn't trusted her, and he had been right. But her betrayal would be their death, which put a damper on his emotions. 

"You're willing to sacrifice your friends for your son's life." Voldemort snorted. "But you forget that they are already at my mercy, and you and your son as well. I feel compelled to say thank you for bringing them to me, but nothing else. You have to give me a bit more if you want me to forgive you. Quite a bit more." 

"Oh, I will. They're more or less a useful by-product of my actual gift for you - something you want more than anything else." 

"And that is?" 

"Immortality." 

"You want to give me Immortality? How should this work?" 

"I'm sure you've heard of the Immortalis Spell, haven't you?" 

Lord Voldemort gave Serena a doubtful, but highly interested look. "The Immortalis Spell. Interesting that you mention it. During my travels and my quest for immortality I did indeed come across the legend of this spell. I tried to find it, but it doesn't exist. If it ever had been a real spell, it's been irretrievably lost in the course of time." 

"No, it isn't. If you give me your word that my unfortunate mistake is forgiven and that Jon comes to no harm, then I'll give you everything you need to perform the spell." 

Severus looked at Serena with unconcealed loathing. How could she do that? It was natural for a mother to protect her son, but the future of the entire wizarding world was too high a price to pay for it. Giving immortality to Lord Voldemort would render him practically invincible. And how could Serena think that the Dark Lord would spare her and Jon? He would never trust her again, and as soon as she lost her usefulness for him, he would kill her off without any warning. 

Refusing to resign to his role as powerless bystander, Severus stretched and flexed his fingers, trying to loosen a knot in the ropes that bound him. 

At the same time, Lord Voldemort scrutinised Serena, apparently considering her offer. He didn't take long to come to a decision. "If you indeed manage to fulfil my greatest desire, you shall be forgiven. As soon as I'm immortal, you may return to my service. And you are free to take your son with you. But the other captives will die." 

Serena bowed again, kissing the hem of Voldemort's robe. "Thank you very very much, my Lord! You won't regret your decision!" 

"Now give me the spell!" Voldemort impatiently urged her, tugging at her shoulder as a sign that she should get up. 

Back on her feet, Serena said, "Of course, Master. They say Salazar Slytherin himself created this spell. He was as disinclined to meet his Maker as you, and he did a lot of research to prevent it. His studies revealed many interesting things, and his most important discovery became the basis of the Immortalis Spell. Every human being has a mortal body, but an immortal soul. Slytherin found out that both - mortality and immortality - were just properties that could be exchanged. And this is exactly what the Immortalis Spell does - it takes the ability to live forever from a soul and transfers it to a body." 

"This much I know already. The question is, how to perform this transfer, and what good does it do me if my body becomes immortal, but my soul mortal?" 

"Oh, Slytherin didn't take his own soul as source of the immortality. He used another unlucky wizard for his purpose, switching the immortality of the other person's soul with the mortality of his own body. Slytherin's body became immortal, while his soul remained immortal all the time." 

Lord Voldemort suddenly uttered a staccato of short guttural noises that Severus, after a moment of confusion, identified as laughing. "You almost convinced me. Your creativity is quite exceptional! If you hadn't mentioned Slytherin, I would have believed you." 

A bewildered frown appeared on Serena's forehead. 

"I don't understand, my Lord. What do you doubt about Slytherin?" she asked, casting the Dark Lord a look as innocent as if she didn't even know the concept of lying. Which could even be true under the influence of the Veritaserum, Severus thought. 

"If he had been successful, he wouldn't have died. He would still be living among us. Your story was entertaining, but nothing but humbug. Nice play for time, but now it's over." In spite of just having had a hearty laugh, Voldemort's voice was as callous and cold as ever. He waved Wormtail to continue his interrupted task. 

Seeing Wormtail reach for her, Serena hurriedly carried on, "Have you never read _Hogwarts, A History?_ Have you never noticed that it lists dates of the deaths of the other three founders, but not of Salazar Slytherin? No one knows when he died, nor where his grave is located. And I tell you why: because there's no date of his death, and no grave. For all we know, he could still be walking among us, unrecognised, and waiting for an opportune moment to take over the world, or return to Hogwarts, or whatever he likes. We don't know his plans, after all." 

Unmoved, Wormtail headed for the altar, dragging Serena along. When Voldemort didn't stop him, she added frantically, "I'm not making up stories! You know that Veritaserum doesn't wear off that fast!" 

Her last sentence seemed to strike a chord. Lord Voldemort raised his hand, causing Wormtail to stop dead in his tracks and Serena to fall silent. "You still haven't told me the spell and how to perform it," he replied, still appearing doubtful. 

"I was just about to do so." Serena shook off Wormtail's hand and reached into her robes. She produced a small, black book, which looked more like a dollhouse's accessory than an actual spell book. She went back to the Dark Lord and held it out to him. "Would you be so kind and resize it, please? I can't without my wand." 

Lord Voldemort used an Enlargement Spell to bring the book back to its original size. When Dumbledore recognised the ancient tome, he thundered, "No, Serena! Don't do that! This book is evil! You must not give it to him under any circumstances!" 

Serena winced when she heard Dumbledore's furious voice, but didn't answer nor look at him. 

Lord Voldemort recognised the title too. "I've heard of this book, and I've searched for it for years. Where did you find it?" He cautiously, almost affectionately, stroked the spine with his long, spidery fingers as if it was a precious, long-lost treasure. 

"It was at Hogwarts. Very well hidden, I must say." 

"And for good reason," Dumbledore cut in. "Serena, don't give it to him! Rather destroy it!" 

Still ignoring the headmaster, Serena opened the book at a marked page. "Here, my Lord. Here's a detailed description of how the ritual is executed, and the exact wording of the spell." 

Lord Voldemort took the book and started to read. His red eyes glowed with excitement. Five minutes later he finally tore his gaze from the old pages. 

"This indeed looks promising. But to execute the spell, dragon blood is needed." 

Again, Serena reached into her robes, taking out a bottle filled with thick, red liquid. "I know, and I brought some with me," she said, casting a sideways glance at Severus. 

Severus scowled in return. So that was what she had needed the dragon blood for. No wonder she had refused to tell him about her intentions. He made a mental note to never again help her out with potions ingredients. Then he remembered that in all probability he wouldn't live to see the morning, which ruled out the possibility of Serena ever asking him for ingredients again. 

"And the soul should be of a close relative. I don't have any relatives. At least no living ones." 

"Why, but you have. It's Harry's blood that runs in your veins. This makes you both related - in an odd way, but it'll do. Harry's soul is exactly what you need." 

Upon hearing Serena's words, Harry uncomfortably gulped and paled even more. His eyes were filled with pure terror while he stared disbelievingly at his aunt. 

"And what happens to him after the spell has been performed?" Lord Voldemort asked. 

"Harry's soul will become mortal. When he dies, his soul will die with him. But the thought that Harry will never enter the kingdom of Heaven wouldn't trouble you, would it?" 

Voldemort once again showed his demonic grin, shaking his head. 

"This is a very powerful spell," he remarked. "And extremely difficult. Nothing that the average wizard can successfully perform. And the book warns against casting the spell upon oneself. Do you think you could manage it?" 

"Of course not, that's far beyond my abilities. But after you, my Lord, Albus Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard currently alive. He should be able to pull it off - the stone circle should support his powers sufficiently. If I ask him nicely -" Serena cast a derisive grin at Dumbledore, "- I'm sure he'll do us the favour." 

"Never!" Dumbledore pressed out between clenched teeth. 

"I could use the Imperius Curse and force him to do it," Voldemort mused. "But I have the distinct feeling that this curse wouldn't work on him." 

"That doesn't make any difference," Serena retorted, speaking more to Dumbledore than Voldemort. "I did a bit of potion brewing this afternoon. You certainly know that all I can produce are highly explosive potions. I've filled several cauldrons with my concoction and distributed them all over Hogwarts. Headmaster, if you refuse to cast this spell then I'll kindle fire under these cauldrons. Our Potions Master will surely confirm that it isn't a good idea to heat Erumpent horn liquid." 

Severus didn't answer, contenting himself with glaring daggers at Serena. During the last minutes, he had been able to wriggle his left arm far enough sideways to reach a knot, but it wasn't easy to undo it behind his back. The last thing he currently needed was Serena's or anyone else's attention. 

"If these cauldrons blow up, it will be a lot more than a little tower that falls off," Serena continued, turning back to Dumbledore. "Hogwarts will become a big heap of rubble, with a great number of dead bodies beneath it. And you better not rely on stability enhancing charms that aren't there anymore." 

"But why, Serena?" Dumbledore cast her a furious look, one that reminded Severus of the end of the Triwizard Tournament when Dumbledore had given Barty Crouch Jr. exactly the same look. "I do not recognise you. I trusted you, against better advice, and so do you repay my confidence in you? Are you really willing to kill hundreds of innocent children to save your and your son's lives?" 

Serena hesitated only a second before nodding. "Sure. Jon's all that matters." She turned around and spoke to a particular tall, slender Death Eater, "What a pity that your son might also be killed, Lucius. Not that I feel sorry for him..." The Death Eater didn't dare to answer, but he clenched his fists. 

Serena returned her attention to Dumbledore. "So, what's your answer?" 

"Can you guarantee that the students will not be harmed if I do what you want?" 

"Actually, no," Serena answered and then bit her lower lip, annoyed, grumbling something that sounded like _'Damn Veritaserum!'_ In a normal voice, she added, "I mean, I don't plan to blow Hogwarts up as long as I don't need to, but it's not really in my power to prevent it." She looked at Lord Voldemort when she said these words. Her expression told clearly that she wouldn't intervene if the Dark Lord decided to break her promise. 

Lord Voldemort stepped towards Dumbledore. "You want a guarantee? I can guarantee that Hogwarts will go down if you refuse to comply," he snarled. "And if you try anything funny, Hogwarts will also become a huge graveyard. Your beloved students will only survive this night if I become immortal." 

Dumbledore briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they looked defeated. "I actually do not have much of a choice, do I?" 

Serena and Voldemort shook their heads in unison. Dumbledore sighed. "Then I will do it." 

"Great," Serena said, patting Dumbledore's shoulder. The headmaster cast her a look that could have killed, and Serena's hand jerked back as if she had burned it on his robe. Avoiding his gaze, she backed away from him, muttering to Voldemort, "I'd begin with the preparations then, if you allow." 

* * *

The preparations took almost an hour. With the exception of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, the captives were removed from their stones and gathered outside the stone circle. Severus cursed his bad luck - he had already loosened the first knot, when a Death Eater freed him from the trilith and led him away. Severus found himself being roughly set down on the grass with renewed bonds, and the new knots nowhere near his hands. Facing the stone circle, he could only helplessly watch what was going on there. The Death Eaters formed a circle around them, closely guarding the hostages. 

Lord Voldemort sent Wormtail to get Harry. As per Serena's instructions, the Death Eater positioned the boy upright in front of the altar, thoroughly tying him to the rock so that he couldn't move anything save his head. 

Serena placed the black book on the altar, using pebbles to keep it open at the right page. Then she opened the bottle containing dragon blood and drew a red circle around the altar on the ground. On the top of the stone table, she drew a dragon blood pentagram and connected it with the red circle by a thick, bloody line. At last, she wrote ancient runes with the rest of the blood all over the altar and the triliths around the circle. These runes should focus the magical power floating around the stone circle and help Dumbledore to cast the Immortalis Spell. 

After picking up the Invisibility Cloak, which still lay where Dumbledore had dropped it to the ground, and putting it out of the way under the stone altar, Serena gave a sign that she was finished and the ritual could begin. 

Three Death Eaters untied Dumbledore and escorted him to the stone altar. After reminding him of the gruesome fate that awaited hundreds of innocent students at Hogwarts if he didn't obey the Dark Lord's commands, they released their grips on him, gave his wand back to him, and hurriedly left the stone circle. 

Serena withdrew to the boundary of the circle as well. Half a dozen Death Eaters guarded her, but contented themselves with keeping their wands trained at her instead of tying her up. Lord Voldemort inspected the scene and, apparently satisfied with what he saw, he laid down on the stone table. After positioning himself so that his head, hands, and feet matched the points of the pentagram, he ordered Dumbledore to begin. 

From his place in the midst of the Death Eaters, Severus had a clear view of the altar, with Harry in front of it and Dumbledore behind it on a little raised platform. The headmaster gravely gazed at the book in front of him, looking as if he carried the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. 

Severus could easily imagine the questions that tormented the elder wizard: How could they ever defeat Lord Voldemort after making him immortal? Was it even possible? Was it worth losing a battle against the darkness to save a few hundred lives? Even if the loss of this one battle perhaps meant the loss of the war? Severus didn't think so, but he knew that Dumbledore treasured every living being and was willing to take more trouble than most to save even a single life. 

Dumbledore straightened up slightly and after a last despairing sigh, he began to recite the spell. The incantation was Celtic, the ancient language of the Druids. While he spoke, the sky clouded over. Clear and starry before, it became overcast with heavy, black clouds exactly above the stone circle. Lightning flashed between the clouds and the wind picked up noticeably. 

The glow that had lit the inside of the circle gradually diminished. The darker it became, the more clearly they could see that Dumbledore was glowing in a steadily brightening, ghostly white light instead. 

Even at this distance Severus could see Harry shaking. Wide-eyed, the boy stared at the sky. His lips moved as if he prayed that a bolt of lightning would come down and hit Voldemort to put an end to this unholy rite. 

Not only the glow, but also Dumbledore's voice increased with every word he spoke until it resounded in an enormous volume that even drowned out the rolling thunder above their heads. When he finally finished the recitation, it seemed as if the world was momentarily holding its breath. Nothing and no one moved, the wind was gone, no lightning lit the black clouds - time itself appeared to be frozen. But this lasted only for the length of a heartbeat, and then all hell broke loose. 

The white light surrounding Dumbledore was so blinding that the wizard inside it wasn't visible anymore - if anyone could still have directly looked at him. The brightness seemed to have reached a limit that it couldn't surpass, and so it exploded into the stone circle. Beams of light shot out, engulfed Harry and then raced on to vanish in Voldemort's twitching body. 

Severus believed that he had heard the Dark Lord scream through the roaring noise of the revived thunderstorm. He fervently hoped that something had gone wrong, perhaps even with Dumbledore's intention. 

The end of the world lasted for about a minute and stopped as abruptly as it had begun. The thunderstorm died down, the sky cleared up again, and Dumbledore wasn't bathed in a blaze of lights anymore. In comparison with the noise level before, the sudden silence was downright deafening. 

Wormtail was the first to shake off the paralysis that had befallen all those present. He scurried to the stone table, asking anxiously, "Master? Did it work? Are you all right?" 

Lord Voldemort slowly sat up. His red eyes glowed ablaze. He cast a triumphant gaze around and then jumped off the table with the agility of a teenager. 

"It seems so, my faithful servant," he answered, elated. "I feel incredible energy running through my veins. I feel power and life; I feel immortal!" 

Severus felt a strange throbbing in his left arm and saw that the Death Eaters hastily rolled up their sleeves. The Dark Mark on their arms was clearly visible. It hadn't been that distinct for years, not even when the Dark Lord had regained a new body the previous year. 

Lord Voldemort produced a dagger from his robe to probe his new-won immortality. In a swift move he slashed the palm of his hand open, and then grabbed his wand to close the wound immediately if the spell hadn't worked. But his caution was unnecessary, he didn't spill one drop of his blood. The cut closed on its own accord. Encouraged by this result, Voldemort stabbed himself in his abdomen. Again, the wound healed almost immediately. 

"It worked - I'm immortal!" he burst out and made a motion to Serena to come nearer. His eyes fell upon Dumbledore, who heavily leaned on the altar, recovering from the exhausting ritual. 

"You did it right, indeed. Some reward should be in order. _Crucio_!" 

Dumbledore collapsed on the ground, doubling up and sharply gasping for air. But no sound escaped his throat. He wouldn't allow his enemy this satisfaction, Severus thought, impressed with Dumbledore's self-control. 

"You're no fun, old man," Lord Voldemort spat, disgruntled, when he lifted the curse. 

"He fulfilled his task, my Lord, so you won't need him any longer, will you?" Serena asked, casting Voldemort a meaningful look. 

"No, I won't," he agreed. "Kill him, and I will take you back into my service." 

Serena briefly nodded and went over to Dumbledore, who was kneeling beside the altar, worn out from the ritual and aching all over from the Cruciatus Curse. Without any warning, she stepped behind him, seized his head with both hands and turned it sideways with a sharp jerk. A loud cracking noise made the captives wince. 

Severus blinked, stunned, but the horrible picture in front of him didn't change. He heard Jon behind him make retching noises, fighting the sudden urge to throw up. Hermione on his left gave a short groan of disbelief before her eyes rolled back into her head and her body grew limp. Harry, who hadn't been able to see what was going on behind him, almost dislocated his neck in the attempt to look around. 

Serena let the lifeless body heedlessly drop to the ground and returned to Lord Voldemort. 

"Serena, I am pleased with you! You did me a great service. You redeemed yourself to me. I will keep my promise; your misdeed shall be forgiven." Lord Voldemort beckoned Wormtail to give her wand back to her. "And now destroy Hogwarts. There shan't be one stone left standing on another. It would be a shame to let such an excellent opportunity pass." 

"As you wish, my Lord," Serena answered, inclining her head. She stretched her wand into the air, speaking an incantation. A small flame emerged from the tip of her wand and ascended into the sky, flying away. "Pathetic school," Serena added mockingly, watching the flame disappear behind the horizon, in the direction where Hogwarts was. "As soon as the headmaster's gone, everything breaks down." 

She cast a questioning look at Voldemort, and he gave her a curt nod. "Your son is also free. You may untie him now."


	19. Back to England

_(October 1981)_

Leaving her past behind, Serena found that she quickly grew attached to her new life. Time passed at a slower pace in Two Oaks; no one felt the need to hurry. After constantly having been on her guard, Serena soon learned to appreciate the quiet and peace that made it easy to relax. 

Albus Dumbledore had been right, Henrietta was the nicest woman Serena had ever met. She reminded Serena a bit of Mrs. Knicks who had lived next door to her parents' house. Henrietta had received her with open arms and had never asked for explanations. After her arrival, Serena had attempted to tell Henrietta about her past and her reasons for leaving Great Britain, having the impression that she owed that much to someone who was willing to take a stranger into her house. 

But Henrietta had waved it aside with the comment, "I don't care why or from what you're hiding, dear. Albus said that you're trustworthy and that's enough for me. So let this worrisome subject be. If you feel like talking then tell me about England instead. I haven't been there since I was a child. And tell me about Hogwarts - I only went there for three years until my parents moved to the States." 

During the following months, Serena made herself useful and got the old house shipshape. The experience she had gained from improving Severus' home came in handy when she repaired the leaking tap in the kitchen, cleared out the basement, weeded the garden, sealed a leak in the roof, and helped Henrietta with the housework. If she could be sure that the few neighbours, all Muggles without exception, weren't going to see it, she would use magic. But she also enjoyed doing things the Muggle way, such as painting the front of the house with a brush and paint. Of course it took her longer, but she had plenty of time. 

In the evenings, Serena and Henrietta sat together on the patio, talking, playing cards, or just enjoying the sunset. Henrietta never tired of hearing stories about Serena's time at Hogwarts or about places that Serena had once visited. In return, Serena eagerly listened to Henrietta's anecdotes about her long and rather interesting life. While at Hogwarts, Henrietta had been a classmate and a close friend of Albus Dumbledore. So close, that after she had left Hogwarts they had stayed in owl contact. Serena was surprised to hear that besides being an excellent student, Albus had also been a mischievous boy who had caused mayhem just as often as his brother Aberforth. 

After finishing her education at Warwick's, the American equivalent of Hogwarts, Henrietta had been a midwife for over sixty years - a choice of career that blessed her with loads of memorable experiences. The only thing that Henrietta regretted was that she had never had children of her own. She and her husband had wanted a big family, but fate had begrudged them this bliss. It was one of life's ironies that the woman who had brought more children into the world than she could count wasn't able to get children herself. After her husband's death Henrietta had been rather lonely, and she was delighted to do Albus a favour that would get herself some company. 

Sometimes, at night, Serena woke up screaming and covered in cold sweat. Nightmares plagued her sleep. She always found herself in one of the houses that had been the home of their numerous victims. But instead of the false bodies she found her family, Henrietta, Dumbledore, Severus, or Moody lying there. The dreams always ended with Lord Voldemort telling her that this time the dead bodies were genuine and it was her fault he had killed them, and then casting the Cruciatus Curse at her. On these occasions, Henrietta always came with a glass of hot milk, comforting Serena until she fell asleep again. 

Time went on, and Serena's belly grew larger. Sometimes she wondered how it was possible for her body to become that huge, only to see the next morning that it again had grown a bit more. On a sunny day in May she gave birth to her son Jon. The boy seemed to be determined to outgrow his mother as soon as possible. He was not only a large baby, he put on weight and size with such speed that Serena could almost see him grow when she watched him for a while. 

Jon was everything to Serena. Soon, she couldn't imagine having ever been without him. It was like Dumbledore had foreseen - raising a lively, curious, and seemingly untiring boy demanded her constant attention. Serena only seldom found the time to think of her former life. The nightmares became rarer and finally ceased completely. It was as if her old life had been a nightmare that faded away after waking up in Two Oaks. Serena's bliss was almost perfect; she had found peace of mind and was content with life. 

Unfortunately, even heaven on earth wasn't free of dark clouds. Three months after Jon's birth, a letter from Albus Dumbledore arrived. Amongst other things, he mentioned that James and Lily had become parents of a healthy boy whom they had named Harry. 

Serena hadn't seen her brother for ages, hadn't even spent much time thinking of him. But Dumbledore's letter brought him right back into the focus of her mind and with a sudden and mighty blow Serena realised that she missed James more than she had thought. Whilst reading the letter, all her pent-up feelings broke free and Serena couldn't hold back her tears. Henrietta fetched a glass of warm milk and gave her a comforting hug, but it was a long time before Serena's tears ceased flowing. 

The very next day, Serena wrote a long letter to James, congratulating him for becoming a father and wishing all the best to the young family. She told him about her own son, Jon, about Henrietta and her new life. Lastly she added her wish for a reunion and sent the letter away. 

But Tiponya, the owl that Serena had borrowed from Henrietta, returned a few weeks later, the unopened letter still dangling from her leg. Either the owl couldn't deliver it because James and his family were in hiding, or her brother didn't want anything to do with his sister. Hoping for the first, Serena tried it again, providing the great horned owl with a few charms that would help her to find the addressee. But whatever she attempted, it was in vain. The owl returned each of the next few letters a couple of weeks after she left, always untouched. 

Tiponya was quite miffed about being repeatedly sent thousands of miles over the Atlantic Ocean for nothing. Whenever Serena came near her, the owl picked at her and fluttered in her cage to make it as difficult as possible for Serena to tie another one of her letters to Tiponya's leg. 

Finally Serena showed some sympathy and sent her next letter to Hogwarts, asking Albus Dumbledore to forward it to James. She wasn't sure if Dumbledore knew where James was hiding but she deemed it worth a try. 

Henrietta's owl needed two weeks to reach Great Britain, spent one week in Hogwarts' Owlery, recovering, and took another two weeks to return to Two Oaks. This time, she didn't carry the letter that Serena had sent, but an answer. Serena's heart pounded with anticipation when she opened it, but one look at the handwriting managed to nip any hope in the bud. The answer wasn't from her brother, but from Dumbledore. 

He had indeed been able to deliver her letter to James, but he couldn't possibly force James to read it. Nibbling at an owl treat, Tiponya gave Serena reproachful glares for sending her on such a strenuous journey again and again. 

"Don't worry," Serena said in an apologetic tone, hanging her head. "I won't send you again. Jim obviously doesn't want to read my letters." 

She crushed the letter into a ball and threw it in the fireplace. Gloomily, Serena stared at the crumpled parchment. That proved beyond doubt that James didn't want any contact with her. 

"No, Jon!" she suddenly burst out. In a more gentle tone, she added, "Parchment isn't for eating, particularly if it's been lying in the fireplace." 

Serena bent down and took the crumpled letter away from her son. Jon had learned to walk a few weeks ago and since then, Serena had spent the better part of her time chasing after him. Jon was faster than his short legs led one to suspect. If she didn't watch him, even for a moment, he instantly went off to explore his surroundings, regardless of whether it was safe or dangerous for a scant one-and-a-half-year-old. He had made a habit of tasting everything that was small enough to go in his mouth, like the letter that he had fished from the fireplace. Fortunately there hadn't been a fire lit, Serena thought. 

When Jon started to cry over being deprived of his newfound treasure, Serena gave him his cuddly teddy instead. Jon regarded her with a distrustful look, suspecting bribery, but then accepted the replacement and waddled away. A few moments later he had already forgotten about the parchment, immersed in a dialogue with his favourite teddy. Jon knew very few words and the toy didn't speak at all, but in the boy's imagination it was a totally normal conversation. 

Serena gazed again at the letter in her hand. She had wasted more than a year with writing letters that no one read. It was high time for something else, something more effective. If she made an appearance on James' doorstep, he couldn't ignore her. And she would adamantly refuse to leave him alone until she had talked to him. 

Since Serena was still on the wanted list of the British Ministry of Magic as well as on Voldemort's own dead-and-not-alive list, Henrietta brewed a bottle full of Polyjuice Potion and put a few of her own, white hairs into it. Serena booked a seat on the Knight Bus and left Jon in Henrietta's care. She had no idea where James lived now, so her first destination was Hogwarts. The headmaster would know where to find James, and since he knew the truth about Serena, he shouldn't hesitate to give her this information. 

When Serena stepped through the iron gates, entering Hogwarts grounds, she felt like she was being taken back to another life. The castle stood strong and tall as ever, seemingly uninfluenced by the passing of time. The mild October sun stood low, casting a golden glow over the trees of the Forbidden Forest. On the Quidditch pitch, students in blue robes, apparently Ravenclaws, used the last hours of daylight for their training. 

Serena hadn't been here since she had finished her education at Hogwarts. And even though this had been only three years ago, it felt like the memory of another lifetime. 

Elated, Serena strode along the narrow path up to the castle until an aching back reminded her that she was impersonating an old witch and she slowed down. Arriving at the oaken front doors, she reached for the handle. At that moment the portal was opened from inside and a black robed wizard stepped in her way. 

Serena was about to greet him and ask for Professor Dumbledore when she recognised him and the words stuck in her throat. None other than Severus Snape stood in front of her. 

Seeing an old witch in the entrance, he stepped aside to let her pass. But Serena didn't move; she only stared at him. 

"Well, can I help you somehow?" Severus asked her, hardly masked impatience showing through in his tone. 

"Erm... yes... maybe... What did you say?" Serena stammered. The sight of Severus had caught her totally off guard. 

"Can I help you?" Severus repeated with irritation. 

"Yes, indeed... I'd like to see Professor Dumbledore," Serena finally answered, pulling herself together. 

"I'm sorry, but he isn't here." 

"And when will he return?" 

"In two days." 

"Oh. Where's he gone?" 

"I don't think that this is any of your business, Mrs....?" 

He drew out the last words, reminding Serena that she hadn't introduced herself. 

When Serena didn't answer his unspoken question, he gave up waiting for her to move aside and squeezed himself past her. "Excuse me," he said, "I haven't got all day." 

Astonished, Serena watched him hurrying down the path to the gates until he was out of sight. 

What the hell was Severus doing at Hogwarts? And on a day when the headmaster wasn't there? Coincidence? She made a mental note to inform Dumbledore about it. A Death Eater at Hogwarts wasn't something to be ignored. But first she should find out if Dumbledore truly wasn't at home. 

She entered the castle to find Professor Flitwick, who came out of the Great Hall. 

He confirmed Severus' statement. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, Professor Dumbledore is away on business. Unfortunately he didn't deem it necessary to inform the staff as to where he's gone. You should better come back the day after tomorrow." 

Disappointed, Serena thanked Professor Flitwick for the information and left. She didn't doubt that Dumbledore was away on Order business, and because of that he had kept his destination for himself. But two days? Her supply of Polyjuice wouldn't last that long. Of course she could hide in a hotel, not leave her room, and wait in her natural appearance. But the danger of being discovered increased with every hour she stayed in this country. 

Who else would know where James was? His best friends perhaps? Serena knew of their whereabouts as much as she knew about James'. But they weren't actively hiding, so it should be easier to find them. The greater difficulty would be to convince one of them to lead her to James. 

But first things first. She couldn't convince anybody as long as she didn't know where they were. 

As soon as Serena had left Hogwarts grounds, she Apparated to Hogsmeade and entered the post office. The clerk gave her an odd look when Serena asked for an express owl. Usually, people simply handed over their letters and left it to him to tie them to an owl and send them out. 

Serena served up a story about her letter being highly confidential and that it would go up in flames if anyone other than herself or the receiver touched it. This convinced the clerk and he disappeared in the back of the store, returning with an owl cage. 

Once outside again, Serena cast a Locating Charm on the owl and sent it out to Sirius Black. Sirius was the closest of James' friends, so the chances that he knew where James was were the best. Two hours later, when Serena noticed that the owl wasn't moving anymore, she concentrated on the charmed owl and Disapparated. 

She arrived in a street, lined with terraced houses on both sides - a typical workers' housing-estate. A quick check confirmed her suspicion that the house in front of her was secured by an Anti-Apparition barrier. That was the reason why she had landed outside, although the owl was inside of the house. And she had Apparated in the nick of time; shortly after her arrival she lost the bearing on the post owl, which meant that Sirius had detected the charm and disabled it. 

* * *

Severus sneezed loudly and then cursed even louder. He had been searching for an old potions recipe from his school days in his attic for over an hour already. Since he wasn't sure in which notebook or on which parchment he had written it down, a simple Summoning Spell wasn't applicable, and he had to do the search the cumbersome way. But each box that he opened only served to swirl up more dust and contained all sorts of things except the old school notes he was looking for. 

This was his second month of teaching and Severus was already wondering whether or not it had been a good idea to accept Dumbledore's offer. Soon after his secret meeting with Dumbledore, the headmaster had found out whom the Dark Lord was using to keep an eye on the goings-on at Hogwarts - Rabastan Lestrange, a seventh year who was likely to become a Death Eater, following in the footsteps of his older brother Rodolphus. At the end of Rabastan's education, however, the Dark Lord found himself wanting a new mole at Hogwarts. The job advertisement in the Daily Prophet had served its purpose perfectly and the Dark Lord had sent Severus to a job interview. 

His new position as Potions Master was more stressful than Severus had thought - more stressful than Dumbledore had given him reason to expect, the cunning old fox. Severus' work wasn't limited to giving lessons about how to make a decent potion. There were lessons to prepare, essays to mark, staff meetings to attend, and detentions to hold. The insolent brats were a real pain in the arse, and he couldn't always get away with passing on their detentions to Argus Filch. The caretaker's day only had the twenty four hours of everyone else's day, and other professors also assigned detentions with Filch quite frequently. 

Severus thought of Professor Godpot, a little jealous. Right now, Severus wouldn't mind being old as well, so he could retire from his teaching job and never see Hogwarts again. 

The old witch who had looked for Albus Dumbledore came to his mind. She had behaved rather weirdly, had stared at him in surprise. He wondered why; he was sure he had never met her before. Something had been odd about her, but he had been in a hurry to deliver another batch of carefully picked information to the Dark Lord, leaving him no time to ponder strange old witches. 

Frustrated, he pushed aside the currently open box and was rewarded with another cloud of dust. If the next box didn't contain the blasted recipe, it could stay wherever it was and rot forever. The recipe would have eased his work, but he could still try to recreate the potion from memory. Severus opened the next box and looked at its content. Again, the wrong container, he realised with a sigh. This box contained a Death Eater robe and mask, an Invisibility Cloak, a violet dress, and other things that had once belonged to Serena. 

After she had gone into hiding, he had packed up her belongings and put them away in the attic. 

Severus touched the soft violet fabric of the dress, reminiscing about the day she had worn it. Serena had looked beautiful in it, like a Greek goddess, he thought wistfully. Serena - he hadn't thought of her for quite a while. She had been accused of murder, but one day before her trial she had escaped from St. Mungo's and disappeared. No one knew where she was. The Dark Lord had sent out several Death Eaters to find and eliminate her, but Serena was nowhere to be found. The Ministry had also set Aurors on her trail. Rumours said that the infamous and dreaded Alastor Moody was one of them. But he didn't do his work any better than the rest of them, and likewise hadn't been able to track her down. 

Severus could have found her easily; he would just have to follow her hair clasp. But he hadn't done it. After Serena's escape, the signal had become extremely weak, scarcely perceptible. Apparently she had gone very far away, had left the country - a reasonable move. 

Suddenly it hit him. That was what had perturbed him about the old witch! Her bun had been held together by a lynx-shaped hair clasp! He had only seen it for a second, but now he was dead sure that it had been Serena's. Severus noticed that he could sense the Locating Charm stronger and clearer than usual. This could only mean that Serena was back in Great Britain. Disguised as an old witch. What motive could she have to leave her apparently safe hiding-place and return to where prison or death awaited her, depending on who caught her first? Did she believe that two years were enough to let the dust settle on her actions? 

It wouldn't do any harm if he found it out, Severus decided. This was at least better than inhaling dust for hours and sneezing himself to death. He took Serena's Invisibility Cloak and put it around his shoulders. Then he left the house and Disapparated, concentrating on the hair clasp. 

He found himself in the middle of a street that was lined with dozens of red-brick houses, hunched together on both sides of the lane. Dusk was setting in and the lit street lamps bathed the parked cars in circles of dim orange glow. More and more lights appeared behind the windows of the houses, lights that were clearly caused by electricity and not candles. Muggle laundry was drying in the front gardens, smoke emerged from the countless chimneys and somewhere in the distance a dog barked in response to a shouting voice. 

The white-haired, old lady Severus remembered from Hogwarts rang the doorbell of the house on his left. He wondered what Serena could possibly want in such a typical Muggle residential area. 

The front door of the house opened and a young man stepped out. Severus would have recognised him anywhere, even if the man hadn't been bathed in light pooling out from the house behind him: Sirius Black. 

Hidden under his Invisibility Cloak, Severus snuck closer in order to overhear their conversation. 

As he came within earshot, he heard Black scoff, "Time hasn't been very kind to you, Serena, has it?" 

The old witch answered, "Really funny, Sirius. I'll laugh later if you don't mind. I cannot risk being recognised, and this form serves my purpose. But I didn't come to listen to your jokes. I'm looking for my brother, and I suppose you know where I can find him." 

"What should you want from James? He hates you, and he certainly doesn't want to see you. Neither do I. Actually, I see no reason why I shouldn't hand you over to the Ministry," Black snarled at her. 

"I just want to talk to Jim. Try for reconciliation. There's so much I need to tell him. I wrote letters, but they never arrived." 

Black snorted. "They did. But when James saw that they were from you he sent them back, unopened. When you became a Death Eater, you betrayed everything James has ever believed in. Just because your pals turned against you doesn't mean that James will forgive you. Especially not after your parents died because of you! As far as he's concerned, you don't exist anymore!" 

"Sirius, please take me to him. I can explain everything. Give me a chance to talk to Jim, please! Five minutes. Then he can throw me out if he still wants to." Serena's voice became more and more desperate, but Black didn't yield. 

"No, I don't trust you. Is it coincidence that you turn up on my doorstep right now when James' enemies are drawing ever closer to him? How would I know that you're truly trying to talk things out with your brother and not helping your master to track James down?" Sirius shook his head. "No, I won't help you. And for your information: your little trick with the owl won't work with James, he's taken precautions against being found. Now get out of my sight before I have you arrested!" 

Serena stood still for a while, staring blankly at Sirius, unsure of what to do next. It was definitely too early to assume that she had already given up, Severus thought. He supposed that she inwardly debated if she should force Black into cooperation with magic, perhaps with the Imperius Curse. 

Apparently she had come to a decision because she heaved a sigh and reached into her pocket. Black, who had been aiming his wand at her the whole time, waved it in a warning gesture. 

Serena slowly took her wand out of her robe, but didn't use it. She offered it to Black, handle first, and said, "Well, here's my wand. Take it. Chain me up. Blindfold me. Then I'll be unable to do anything and I won't know where you take me. By all means, Obliviate any memories of Jim's whereabouts afterwards. But take me to him, let me talk to him, please!" 

Severus could almost see the wheels in Black's mind turning, trying to decide if Serena was being genuine or not. Would it actually matter? If she gave herself to his mercy, she shouldn't be able to do any harm. If Serena had any ulterior motives and carried a hidden plan, then it was so clever that Severus couldn't recognise it behind her seemingly innocent behaviour. And Black apparently couldn't see through her either. At length, he took Serena's wand and pocketed it. 

"If James doesn't want to see you, you'll leave without arguing. And you'll never return, or I'll take you to Azkaban personally. If this is a trap, you won't see the morning, I promise you. Do you understand?" 

Serena nodded eagerly, her face brightening up with the prospect of finally seeing her brother. 

"Stretch out your hands," Black commanded. Serena obeyed and Black touched her arms with his wand. Handcuffs appeared and closed around her wrists. Then Black checked her for any hidden weapons, charms, or replacement wands, but didn't find any. Finally he grabbed her left upper arm and they vanished. 

Severus stared at the spot where both of them had stood just a moment before. Serena wanted reconciliation with her brother? He couldn't help thinking that it sounded like a lame excuse. After being thrown out, Serena had never mentioned her family again, let alone reconciliation. And Black was right, it was too much of a coincidence that she turned up now of all times, when the Dark Lord had withdrawn Lucius Malfoy from his task to find the Potters and had taken over himself. Severus found it much more believable that she was trying to find her brother because she could use him as bribe to gain the Dark Lord's forgiveness. She was a Death Eater and her brother would never forgive her for that. He was certainly blaming her for their parents' death, which was another reason why any try for reconciliation was doomed to fail from the start. And Serena should know him well enough to know this; he was her brother, after all. 

She probably believed her plan could have a good chance of succeeding. The Potters had been on the Dark Lord's blacklist for two years now. Lucius Malfoy hadn't been able to find them. James Potter had always kept one step ahead of him. Recently, the Dark Lord had lost his patience and gone off in search of them by himself. But he hadn't been successful either. If Serena delivered her brother to the Dark Lord, she would do him a great service. And, just as his punishments were hard, his rewards often were generous. She certainly deemed the chance that he would forgive her much better than the chance that someone as proud and obstinate as James Potter would forgive her. 

And Black led her directly to him. A nice stupid friend he was! He hadn't even found the hidden Locating Charm on her hair clasp. Who knew what else he had missed. 

Suddenly Severus saw it crystal clear: this was his chance to repay his life debt to James Potter. Potter had saved Severus from the werewolf, and now Severus could save Potter from his sister. Then he would be quits with Potter at last. 

Concentrating on Serena's hair clasp, Severus Disapparated.


	20. Puzzling the Pieces Together

_(February 1996)_

While Severus watched Serena leaving the stone circle and approaching the captives, he started wriggling his fingers again, feeling for the knots. He was dying to free himself and make her pay for her betrayal, even if it was the last thing he did. A cold fury filled him. He wouldn't have been surprised if his bonds broke under the sheer weight of his wrath. 

He hadn't trusted her, but he had given her the benefit of the doubt. Now he bitterly regretted it. He should have let her die. Twice he had had an opportunity and twice he had saved her life instead. But it wouldn't happen again. 

Once more, Severus pulled at his ropes, hoping in vain that they would give way. 

"You monster!" he hissed at her when she walked by him. "Dumbledore always believed in you, and you murdered him without batting an eyelid! Him and several hundred people at Hogwarts! You'll pay for what you did tonight!" 

"I'm curious as to how you would want to make me pay," Serena answered casually, looking him over and arching an eyebrow at the sight of his bonds. Ignoring his dirty look, she stepped past him and undid Jon's ropes with a flick of her wand. "Okay, Jon, you're free now," she said in a much softer tone. "And you don't have to worry -" 

But Jon didn't listen to her words. As soon as the ropes vanished, he jumped up, gave Serena a rough push, and dashed off into the darkness. None of the Death Eaters made a move to follow him. They apparently found it more interesting to see how Serena would handle the situation. 

"Hey, Jon, wait!" she called worriedly. 

"Leave me alone! I hate you!" Jon shouted back, his voice choked with tears. 

"Jon, I did all this for you! Come back!" 

"No!" 

" _Imperio_!" sounded Voldemort's cold, high-pitched voice before Serena could set off to follow her son. 

Jon stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Come here to me!" Lord Voldemort commanded. 

Instantly, Jon turned around and returned to the stone circle. Serena followed him, her eyes apprehensively flitting back and forth between Jon and Lord Voldemort. 

Watching this little exchange, Severus almost missed something odd. The Death Eater in front of him scratched his head and then lowered his hand again. He stopped half-way down, holding his arm at a rather uncomfortable angle. Severus wondered why someone would remain in such a strange position, but the Death Eater didn't move again. Suddenly Severus became aware that none of the Death Eaters were moving anymore. They all stood still and stiff, not even occasionally shifting their weight from one leg to the other. Severus turned his head to look at the Death Eaters behind him. It was then that he noticed that he was the only captive left in the circle of Death Eater guards. The spot where Hermione had lain was empty. 

"I expect you to teach your son respect and obedience to his Lord," the Dark Lord was ordering Serena when Severus suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and then the unpleasant, disorienting jolt of being Apparated away. 

He landed on soft grass, next to a few bushes and a road that were vaguely familiar to him. A glance around the landscape, which was bathed in moonlight, confirmed that he was just outside of Hogwarts' Apparition barrier, not far from the spot where they had started their disastrous rescue mission. The ropes that restrained him fell off and Severus leapt to his feet. 

"Who's there?" he asked, intently gazing around. But he couldn't see anyone and didn't get an answer either. Only a soft popping sound indicated that whoever had brought him here had left again. 

He found Hermione Granger a few steps away, still out cold. Two wands lay beside her on the ground, and the Invisibility Cloak that he had been forced to drop earlier. Severus recognised his own wand and picked it up. He wondered who the invisible rescuer was. Perhaps Hagrid had contacted the Order when they hadn't returned to Hogwarts? But how would they have found them? 

Harry Potter suddenly appeared out of nowhere and looked as confused as Severus felt. And again a soft pop told them that the mysterious helper was gone immediately after delivering the boy to the meadow. 

Severus removed Harry's bonds when he noticed another arrival. About thirty yards away he recognised Serena, who took a step away from Jon and pointed her wand at him. 

"Take care of Miss Granger," he curtly said, briefly pointing at the other wand on the ground that most likely belonged to Harry, and was gone. 

Feeling a fresh upsurge of rage at the sight of Serena, Severus didn't even bother to walk the distance between them. Instead, he Apparated to her side, casting a Stunning Spell at her as soon as he was solid again. 

"Don't worry, Jon, I'll fix this -" Severus heard her say, but didn't find out what she intended to do to her son because the spell hit her at that moment. 

Caught by surprise, Serena didn't manage to block the hex entirely. She didn't pass out, but the force of the spell knocked her over. Before she could take any counter measure, Severus stepped on her wrist and twisted her wand from her grasp. 

"Murderer!" he spat at her, poking the tip of his wand at her throat. "You snake in the grass! How could you kill the greatest wizard the world has ever seen! You'll pay for this - prepare to die!" 

"No, Sev, wait!" Serena burst out, looking sincerely worried by the furious expression Severus was wearing. "Don't do something you might regret later! I can explain -" 

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" he cut her short. "What you did is inexcusable! Actually, death is too good for you. A Dementor's kiss would be much more appropriate. It's a pity that there's never a Dementor when you need one." Severus narrowed his eyes, adding with a menacing growl, "At least I can make it slow and painful for you." 

He straightened up again, aiming his wand at her chest. He was dying to cast the Cruciatus Curse on her, to force the pain that he felt about Dumbledore's death tenfold upon her. He briefly wondered if the Ministry would overlook his use of an Unforgivable in this special case. 

The realisation that Severus was deadly serious about his statement was evident in Serena's eyes. No trace of her former smirks and arrogance was left on her expression when she stared at him, wide eyed. 

" _Crucio_!" Severus bellowed. 

But the Unforgivable didn't hit her. The moment Severus opened his mouth, Serena rolled to the side, grabbing the foot that was standing on her wrist with her free hand and giving it a sound jerk. Simultaneously, she kicked at his knee. 

Severus lost his balance and tumbled over. The very next second Serena was on him, trying to wrest his wand from him. 

"Sev, wait a minute! Listen to me -", she pleaded again. 

But Severus didn't listen. The pain in his knee only served to intensify his rage. He didn't even try to fight her attempt to disarm him. He simply let go of his wand and closed both hands around her neck. Unable to utter anything, let alone an incantation, Serena dropped her useless wand and summoned up all her strength to pry his fingers away from her neck. Without success; and before long her struggles became slower and weaker for lack of air. Not easing his hold one bit, Severus rolled over until he straddled her, and continued to press with all his wrath at her throat. 

When Serena's eyelids fluttered shut, a familiar voice suddenly commanded, "Severus, no! Let her go!" 

Startled, Severus released his deathly grip on Serena's throat immediately. If it was the commanding tone that made him obey so quickly or if it was the fact that the voice belonged to the last person he would have expected to hear, he wasn't sure. 

He turned his head around and stared at Albus Dumbledore. 

"You're alive," Severus muttered, perplexed. "But I heard your neck break..." 

"Well, my neck is something I am quite attached to; I would not allow it to break that easily," Dumbledore answered, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. 

He motioned Severus to stand up. Severus complied and heaved himself up, carefully avoiding putting weight on his hurting leg. 

Serena remained motionless, which brought a concerned look on Dumbledore's face. When he made a step towards her, a jolt shook her body and she started to greedily gasp for air, coughing and rubbing her throat. Dumbledore offered Serena his hand, which she gratefully took, and helped her to get on her feet. 

When he finally inquired about her well-being, Severus angrily butted in, "Headmaster, she attempted to kill you! How can you treat her as if nothing had happened? She betrayed all of us to the Dark Lord! She was willing to sacrifice us to save her own pathetic life! She destroyed Hogwarts! She deserves -" 

"Oh, shut up!" Serena interrupted his rant angrily, her voice sounding hoarse. "You dunderhead almost ruined everything! Would it have hurt you to listen to me for one minute? To let me explain? But nooo, kill first and ask questions later is so much more convenient, isn't it?" 

"Watch your mouth, or I'll shut it for you," Severus snapped back with a dangerous snarl in his voice. 

"Don't you dare touch me again," Serena hissed, her eyes flashing with anger. Clenching her hands into fists, she looked ready to fly at Severus, totally disregarding the fact that he towered over her by more than a foot. 

Dumbledore sharply interjected, "Stop this quarrel! Both of you! And for Merlin's sake, calm down!" 

Both of them fell silent, but they didn't stop glaring daggers at each other. 

Approaching footsteps announced the arrival of Harry and a reawakened Hermione at the scene. Both of them stopped dead when they recognised Dumbledore. Tears of joy emerged from Hermione's eyes and ran down her still pale cheeks. 

"You're alive. Alive! I can't believe it, you're alive," Harry incessantly muttered. 

"What happened?" Hermione asked after she had regained enough composure to speak. When her eyes fell on Jon's stock-still figure, she added, concern showing in her voice, "And what's with Jon?" 

Jon stood like a dummy at the spot where he had appeared with his mother. The Imperious Curse still controlled him, but for the lack of any order from Voldemort Jon simply waited. 

"You haven't broken the curse yet?" Dumbledore asked Serena, examining Jon's blank face. 

" _He_ wouldn't let me," Serena grumbled with a sideways nod at Severus, earning another death glare from him. 

Dumbledore turned towards Jon and uttered, " _Finite Incantatem_!" 

At first nothing happened. Then, suddenly, Jon collapsed on the grass, gasping. Voldemort's Imperius Curse had held him in a tight grip, not allowing any independent thought. The sudden loss of this absolute control over him was like a shock, and Jon needed a minute to recover from it. Finally, he picked himself up again. Completely ignoring his mother's concerned look, Jon reassured Dumbledore that he was all right. 

The older wizard cast a look around the group of students and professors, not missing the occasional glances toward Serena, which ranged from coldness to barely restrained hatred. 

"We should return to Hogwarts before any of the Death Eaters decide to come looking for us," Dumbledore suggested gently. 

"But Hogwarts doesn't exist anymore," Harry said with another sideways glance at Serena. "She destroyed it after she... she almost killed you." 

"As you can see, I am not dead. And I'm sure, Hogwarts is not destroyed either. Now let's go and check, shall we?" Dumbledore said. 

Getting ready to set off, Serena bent down to pick up her wand. Severus guessed her intention and stepped on the wooden staff. Serena took a deep breath as if restraining herself from stepping on his foot in return, when Dumbledore interfered once more. 

"Severus, please stop your hostility toward Serena. She is on our side, trust me. She never left it, even if it may not seem like that to you." 

When Severus didn't move, Dumbledore added, "I promise that I will answer all your questions - I think you have many - in my office over a cup of hot cocoa." 

Only his respect for the older wizard, earned over many years, made Severus step aside and allow Serena to take her wand. Quickly, he picked up his own wand, keeping it ready to interfere if Serena made one suspicious move. On their way back, while Hermione and Jon gave an account of their kidnapping to Dumbledore, Severus aimed his wand at Serena all the time, just in case. When they rounded a corner and Hogwarts came into view, Severus saw with great relief that it was still standing, but, even then, he didn't lower his caution against her. 

* * *

Upon reaching the castle, they found Minerva McGonagall waiting for them. She gave an audible sigh of relief when they entered the Entrance Hall. 

"Headmaster, there you are, at last! Thank Merlin that all of you are back - and in good health, as it appears." She gave the students a small welcome-back-smile. The dirty and dishevelled appearances of Severus and Serena caused her to arch an eyebrow, but she didn't ask for details. 

"Cornelius Fudge is here," she continued worriedly. "Apparently, he's been informed of what has happened. Merlin knows how he found out about the abduction. I told him that he must have been taken in by a false rumour. I wouldn't let him into the dormitories, of course, and I told him you were away on business, but he insisted on staying." 

"Very good, Minerva, I will deal with him," Dumbledore said softly. 

"But this is not all, Headmaster," she continued, her mouth thinning with tension. "He threatened that you'll lose your position as Headmaster of Hogwarts if anything has happened to the students. I hope he's calmed down by now; I let him wait in your office for the portraits to keep an eye on him." 

"I bet Fudge got a tip-off from Lucius Malfoy. That slimy git doesn't miss an opportunity to undermine Professor Dumbledore's position," Serena growled under her breath. 

"Lucius Malfoy?" McGonagall asked sharply. "So you think that he knows about this?" 

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past him to have even been involved in the kidnapping itself. In any case he was at the stone circle, saw the abducted students with his own eyes." 

"Can you prove this? Did anyone else recognise him?" 

"He was masked, of course, as was every other Death Eater. He didn't even react when I told him that his son Draco would die, the hardened bastard! But I know that he was there, he wouldn't have dared stay away when the Dark Lord called. Unfortunately, that won't be enough to get him a one-way ticket to Azkaban." 

Serena let out a frustrated sigh, and McGonagall gave her an inquiring look. 

"Thank you, Minerva," Dumbledore chimed in. "Let's see what Minister Fudge wants, then, shall we?" He ascended the stairs to the second floor, closely followed by McGonagall and the rest of the group. 

Before Dumbledore opened the door to his office, he turned around. " _I_ will talk to the Minister," he insisted, casting a solemn glance at the people behind him. "I do not wish for any of you to slip one word about the events that took place tonight. You do not know all facts yet and I do not want you to communicate any unfounded distrust to Minister Fudge. After he is gone, I will explain everything to you." 

His gaze lingered a bit longer on Serena and Severus. "Please, do something about your appearance," he added. "With your current looks, you do not need to say anything to make the Minister suspicious." 

Severus cast a Cleaning Spell on himself, watching Serena doing the same. After they were finished giving their hair and clothing a quick remake, Severus snapped at Serena, "And cover your neck, for Merlin's sake!" 

"Why?" Serena irritably asked, new anger raising her voice. "If you want to hint that my outfit is indecently revealing -" 

"He doesn't," Jon interrupted her before Fudge could hear them. His expression suddenly became shocked upon realising that he had defended Snape. "Erm, there are strangulation marks showing," Jon explained quietly. 

"Oh," Serena uttered and turned her collar up. Casting Severus a reproachful glare, for he was the cause of those marks, she snarled, albeit with less volume, "Better?" 

Severus nodded, glowering back. Her glares were wasted on him; he didn't feel guilty in the slightest. Before he could say anything, though, Dumbledore opened the door to his office and Severus bit back his answer. 

Fudge had indeed waited in the office all evening. Unable to stay awake, he had fallen asleep in a chair. When they entered the office, he woke with a start, burbling, "Oh, Professor Dumbledore... there you are... very well... must have fallen asleep... so late..." 

Upon noticing that Dumbledore wasn't alone, Fudge fell silent. Mouth agape, he stared at the students as if they were trolls. He obviously hadn't expected to see them. 

"Good evening, Minister Fudge," Dumbledore greeted him politely. "Professor McGonagall informed me of your wish to speak to some of my students. I'm sorry for making you wait the whole night, but if you had informed me of your visit beforehand, we could have made an appointment at a more convenient time." Dumbledore went around his desk and sat down in his chair, gesturing Harry, Hermione, and Jon to step closer. "However, here they are." 

When Fudge remained silent, Dumbledore added, "May I ask you to keep your conversation brief? I'm sure you understand the importance of sufficient sleep for the successful development of a teenager." 

The sight of these three Gryffindors had obviously foiled Fudge's reason for coming to Hogwarts. Stammering, he desperately struggled to find the right words now that his prepared speech was useless. 

"Very well... it's good to see you... three. Nothing could be further from my mind than to prevent you from sleeping... You have to understand, when I heard that rather unsettling news - I had to see for myself if you were well... it's my job, after all..." 

He trailed off, looking extremely uncomfortable. The grim looks that Severus and Serena exchanged, spreading a chill over the entire office, didn't help to lessen his uneasiness at all. 

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Dumbledore asked, now a hint of coolness in his voice. 

Fudge instantly shook his head. "I don't think so. I better go now... It's really late..." 

"Yes, indeed it is. Bring my kindest regards to Madam Bones." 

Fudge nodded absentmindedly, scrutinising Severus and Serena. Aware of Fudge's attention, they did their best to keep a blank face. 

"Professor McGonagall would love to see you to the door," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "Good bye, Minister." 

"Good bye, Headmaster." Fudge cast a quick glance around. "Very well, good bye to all of you." Then he turned and hurriedly followed McGonagall out of the headmaster's office. 

Fudge was hardly gone when Harry blurted out, "Why didn't you tell him what happened? Last year he didn't believe that Voldemort's back. Now we are six eyewitnesses - he would have had to believe it." 

"He didn't believe you; and neither Severus nor I could convince him last year. He wouldn't have believed Serena or two students, who are close friends with you, any more than yourself, Harry," Dumbledore answered calmly. 

"And Fudge isn't to be trusted," Serena added, full of contempt for the current Minister for Magic. "He acts a bit too blind to be believable. I'm quite sure that Lord Voldemort's gathering allies at the Ministry again - and I wouldn't be surprised if Fudge was one of them." 

"You should know it, you're closer to the Dark Lord than anyone else in this office," Severus growled. 

"Severus, why don't you have a seat, and a cup of cocoa? In fact, why don't we all," Dumbledore interjected calmly before Serena and Severus could launch into another dispute. He motioned towards his desk, in front of which five chairs appeared, followed by a tray with six steaming mugs. 

Looking at Hermione and Jon, he added, "I assume you were not served proper meals while being captives of Lord Voldemort. You must be hungry. So please, help yourselves!" Another tray appeared on the table, filled with leftovers from the previous evening's dinner. 

Now, that Dumbledore mentioned it, both Hermione and Jon realized how hungry they were, and gratefully tucked in. 

As soon as everyone had taken a seat, Severus voiced again what had occupied his mind ever since Dumbledore had prevented him from killing Serena on the spot. "With all due respect, Headmaster, I don't understand how you can defend this traitorous witch after all she did tonight. After she attempted to kill you!" 

"Serena didn't make an attempt on my life. She only pretended to follow Lord Voldemort's orders." Noticing Severus' sceptic expression, Dumbledore reached into his pocket and produced a small pebble of the likes that Serena had used to keep the black book open. He pressed it and the cracking sound that they had heard earlier on reverberated through the office. 

"That pebble is charmed to sound like a breaking neck!" Jon burst out in surprise. "I suppose, this was all planned then?" 

Dumbledore confirmed Jon's assumption with a nod. "Yes, it was. But perhaps I should start at the beginning. Last night, Serena came to me, telling me that she highly doubted the success of our original plan. She also told me that Lord Voldemort's ability to see through Invisibility Cloaks was more than just a rumour. And she presented a new plan to me, a brilliant idea, I have to say." 

Dumbledore took a long swig of his cocoa. Severus made an effort not to scowl at the headmaster. Dumbledore certainly knew that his listeners were dying of curiosity and revelled in keeping them waiting a little longer. 

Finally the headmaster continued, "Serena did not really return to Lord Voldemort's service tonight, she just pretended to. She did not actually kill me, and of course these explosive cauldrons did not exist either. After Lord Voldemort believed me dead, he paid no attention to me anymore, and hence I could use one of the Invisibility Cloaks to move freely among the Death Eaters. Of course, Lord Voldemort still could have seen me, so Serena provided enough distraction for him. And you all splendidly joined in the play. Severus, how you hissed at Serena, threatening her - no one could have done this more convincingly! And Jon - running away from the Death Eaters, so that Lord Voldemort does not look at them - excellent!" Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with delight. 

"In the meantime I petrified one Death Eater after another. Since they all stood motionless, nobody noticed the change. And then I brought you away, beginning with Hermione, then Severus. Lord Voldemort couldn't see you two vanish because the Death Eaters obstructed his view. I took Harry from the stone altar as the last one because his disappearance wouldn't go unnoticed. But by this time it was already too late for Lord Voldemort to do anything." 

"Yeah," Serena cut in. "I kept an eye on Harry all the time and when he disappeared, I knew that all of you were safe." The memory warmed her mood, and she began to smile. "It was quite funny to see the Dark Lord yelling at his frozen Death Eaters to find the escapees; and they didn't react. I swear he stamped his foot like a peevish child, furious about so much disobedience, seething with rage. The perfect moment to Disapparate with Jon." 

Serena fell silent again, giving the others time to take in the news. 

After a while, Harry asked Dumbledore, "But, Professor, did you really have to cast the Immortalis Spell? When Hogwarts wasn't truly endangered, why did you make Voldemort immortal?" 

Another cheerful twinkle appeared in Dumbledore's eyes. "It was a brilliant idea, wasn't it?" he answered. "If there is one thing that Lord Voldemort cannot resist, it is immortality - the perfect bait to keep him from killing any of us immediately. Serena proved her purported loyalty to him and got her wand back. And she had a reason to be near Jon. Additionally, I regained my wand, and after my _'death'_ also my freedom of movement, which I needed to save you." 

"And the benefit of this plan - saving two kidnapped students' lives - outweighs the price of giving the Dark Lord immortality and enabling him to kill countless more people due to his near-invincibility," Severus growled, unmistakable sarcasm marking his tone. 

Serena rolled her eyes, as if Severus had missed something obvious, but he couldn't see what this should be. He also found her grin, which grew broader by each second, highly inappropriate. An invincible Voldemort was not cause for amusement. 

"Oh, really, Sev, how stupid do you think we are?" 

Noticing the student's expressions light up in reaction to the way Serena addressed him, Severus made sure to give each of them a glare that stuck any comment in their throats. 

Meanwhile, Serena raised her hands in a repelling gesture, and added, "No, don't answer. Of course he isn't immortal. Professor Dumbledore and I stayed up all night to adapt this spell to our requirements. I have no idea if the original spell would actually have worked, but our version certainly didn't. At least not in the way that Lord Voldemort expected. Fortunately, he doesn't speak Celtic well enough to understand the incantation and notice that Professor Dumbledore said something completely different from what was written in the book. The spell concentrated Lord Voldemort's magical power and vital energy, rendering him merely invulnerable - and even this only for a very limited period of time." 

She turned to her left where Harry sat and reassuringly patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry, your soul hasn't been harmed either." 

Harry gave her a strange look, and Severus could easily guess what was going on in the boy's mind. On the one hand, Harry wanted so badly to believe that Serena was telling the truth and that his soul was unharmed, but on the other hand he wasn't sure if he could believe her. After all that had happened tonight, he had no idea if he could trust her or not. Finally, Harry gave Dumbledore a quizzical look and the headmaster nodded in confirmation. Only then, did Harry visibly relax and discard the somewhat haunted expression that he had worn since they had returned from the stone circle. 

Meanwhile, Serena continued her account. "The spell boosted Lord Voldemort's metabolism. But no gain without pain." She smiled. "Soon he'll find out that this short high will be followed by a long low. He'll feel weak and sick. The spell tapped and concentrated his own life force to make him temporarily invulnerable. In a short while, he'll have used up all his energy and he'll be burned out for some time." 

Severus released the breath that he had unwittingly been holding. So the Dark Lord wasn't immortal, after all. This made the whole operation a bit less stupid, but he was still convinced that this plan had major weak points and wasn't better than their original, more straightforward plan. 

"So you cheated on him," Severus said. "But how could you know that he wouldn't test his alleged immortality a bit more thoroughly? Wouldn't find out on the spot that it didn't really work?" 

"We didn't. Truth be told, I would've been delighted if he had asked someone to try the Killing Curse on him. While he was immune against some cuts, he probably wouldn't have survived an Avada Kedavra." Serena sighed. "But you can't have everything." 

"But doesn't he still have the book?" Hermione chimed in. "With this book, won't he be able to perform the original Immortalis Spell sometime later, when he has recovered from last night?" 

The amused twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes grew more intense when he shook his head. 

"If Lord Voldemort thinks so," he answered, "he is very much mistaken. To prevent the book from falling into the wrong hands, Serena didn't take it with her in the first place. It is still at Hogwarts." 

In corroboration of his statement, Dumbledore opened a drawer in his desk and took a black book out of it that looked exactly like the one that Serena had presented Voldemort with. 

"What Lord Voldemort has," Serena explained, "is a fine piece of magic that Professor Dumbledore created. A Leprechaun owed him a favour and provided Professor Dumbledore with some of their gold, you know, their special sort that dissolves into nothing after a while. Professor Dumbledore transfigured it into an exact copy of this tome. In a few hours, the false book will disappear into the blue and Lord Voldemort won't get a look-in. And he'll boil with rage. If he still has the strength for it." 

Breaking the following silence, Serena rolled up the left sleeve of her robe and said, "Look, it's already fading." 

The students craned their necks to look at Serena's arm. The Dark Mark on it was pale, much paler than when they had seen it in the Three Broomsticks. They could almost watch it fading. 

Severus checked his own mark and found that it also had grown fainter. In fact, the Mark hadn't been this pale since before the Dark Lord's resurrection. 

"So you were on our side all the time," Jon voiced his conclusion from the revelations, but still in an amazed tone as if he needed to hear it in order to believe it. "I'm sorry that I shouted at you, Mum. I don't hate you." 

A warm smile spread over Serena's face, lending a happy glow to her eyes. "No offence taken," she said mildly. 

"I don't hate you either, I think," Harry chimed in, but sounded as if he was still in the process of convincing himself of this fact. 

Hermione finally added, her gaze alternating between Serena and Dumbledore, "Thank you for saving us." 

Suddenly, Severus found himself the focus of general attention. Everyone seemed to expect him to endorse the statements of the previous speakers. But he stayed silent, keeping his expression as dark as it was. 

"Well, what's with you?" Serena asked, provocatively arching an eyebrow at him. "Won't you admit that you were wrong about me? Won't you finally discard your distrust of me? And apologise to me like someone with good manners would?" 

Severus shook his head. "No, certainly not." 

Serena looked offended. Even Dumbledore frowned. 

"Your darn pigheadedness! Why not?" she inquired. 

"Because I don't believe a word of it. What everyone here seems to have forgotten is that the Dark Lord administered Veritaserum to you. You expressed your wish to return to his service. You also said that you don't care about anyone but Jon. You admitted to luring us there for the Dark Lord to kill us. Don't tell me that you lied. You were under the influence of Veritaserum, and no one can lie then." 

"That's not quite accurate," Serena objected. Before Severus could start to give a list of reasons why it was biologically impossible to defy the effect of Veritaserum, she quickly continued, "I managed to neutralise its effect, and so I was able to lie." 

Serena cast a quizzical look at Dumbledore. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded and Serena continued. 

"What I'm going to tell you now, mustn't leave this room. Is this clear?" 

The students nodded eagerly. Severus gave his assent too; he was agog to hear what a story she would serve up. 

But instead of starting an explanation, Serena asked him, "Do you remember when we blew up the Potions tower?" 

Severus scowled at her as his answer. Of course he would never forget that day. Serena had made a lot of blunders in Potions, but this had been the culmination of all her mishaps. He was miffed that after all these years, Serena still tried to blame him for the accident, at least partially. "Of course I remember. And it was _you_ , not _us_ , who let the cauldron boil too long despite being told otherwise." 

"Yeah, okay, it was my fault," Serena admitted and then looked at the three students. "For those of you who don't know the full story, I should reiterate what happened. It was in my fifth year at Hogwarts. O.W.L. tests were coming up and I was sure to fail Potions, abysmal as I was at that horrible subject. I got permission to use the Potions classroom, which was in a small tower on the south side at that time, for additional practising. And who would be better than Sev, the best Potions student Hogwarts had, as my tutor? So I talked him into helping me. Unfortunately, the cauldron blew up after we finished brewing Veritaserum, taking the whole Potions tower with it." 

"Veritaserum?" Hermione blurted out, academic interest brightening her eyes. "You learned to make Veritaserum? Will we learn this too?" When she noticed Harry's exasperated look, she added a bit sheepishly, "It isn't in the Potions textbook, that's why I'm asking." 

"You won't learn it," Severus curtly informed her, grateful for this fact. He wouldn't have wanted to have someone like Neville Longbottom try something that contained fluid form Erumpent horn. Feeling at least as annoyed by her disruption as Harry looked, Severus added, "If we could continue -" 

But he was cut short by Jon who started whispering to Hermione at the same time as Severus began to speak. "I can show it to you, if you like. We did Veritaserum at the Potions club at Warwick's last year. The brewing's a bit dangerous, but nothing you couldn't manage." 

"That would be great!" Hermione smiled, but the smile vanished as soon as she looked up and noticed Severus' sour expression. 

"I still wonder if it was coincidence that the Ministry of Magic requested the removal of Veritaserum from the syllabus shortly after this incident," Dumbledore jovially added. "Or if it was because of the new, stricter regulations in dealing with the potion." 

Serena pulled a wry face. "So you noticed it too. And I'd thought -" 

Severus audibly cleared his throat. "If it wouldn't cause you too much trouble, could we return to the actual topic some time before dawn?" 

"Okay, okay," Serena drawled and then put on a pensive expression. "Well, where was I? Ah, yes, what happened was that we tested the potion, of course before everything exploded, but it didn't work, I was still able to lie. When Sev asked me after the big bang if I was hurt, I said no, which wasn't true. And Professor Dumbledore asked what had happened, and I told him that Sev had blown up the tower, even though it was my fault. I lied, although I didn't actually want to. When I wondered about this later, I realised that I had added frog toes to the cauldron instead of salamander toes." 

"Frog toes!" Severus snapped in exasperation, regarding Serena with the same look that was usually reserved for Neville Longbottom. "No wonder that the serum didn't work. I never told you to add frog toes!" 

"I'm sorry, but I always had difficulties telling one from the other. Well, you know the effect of frog toes. Even I know it by now." 

"Frog toes reverse the effect of most potions..." Suddenly Severus understood. "Instead of a truth serum you created a potion that forced you to lie!" 

"Exactly. Five points to the sour Potions Master. I had saved some of the potion, having hoped to get Veritaserum. Anyway, I kept it because I thought that a serum that makes you lie could be just as useful. 

"Part of our punishment was to help Professor Godpot, our Potions professor, to set up a new Potions classroom down in the dungeons. One afternoon I was busy sorting bottles that had survived the catastrophe into a new cupboard. I found that one of them contained Veritaserum and I couldn't resist it. I tested it together with my potion. And the result was exactly what I had surmised: they cancelled each other out. I was neither under duress to tell the truth nor to lie." 

"You found an antidote to Veritaserum," Severus stated, shaking his head in incredulity. 

How ironic, he thought, that of all people the woman who had absolutely no grip on Potions whatsoever discovered something that the best Potions geniuses hadn't found yet. But then, no one with even a basic understanding of Potions would attempt to combine frog toes and Erumpent horn liquid, an essential ingredient for Veritaserum. Erumpents didn't get along with frogs in real life, and strangely enough, the same applied for parts of them combined in a potion. Severus couldn't name any potion off the top of his head that would consist of ingredients from both animals. The antidote to Veritaserum was apparently the exception that proved the rule. 

"You never breathed a word of it. Why not?" he asked Serena. 

"At first you didn't speak to me anymore, so I couldn't tell you. Then I didn't want you to know I had an untruth potion. You might have hit on the idea that it would be a great thing to use for getting back at Jim and his friends." 

Serena took a deep breath. "When I became a spy, it came in handy to be immune against Veritaserum. I hollowed out one of my molars and filled the cavity with some of my potion. When Lord Voldemort caught me stealing his Pensieve and forced Veritaserum down my throat, I bit the hollow tooth open and swallowed the antidote before I answered his questions. And tonight I did the same." 

"You see, Severus, there was an explanation other than the obvious one," Dumbledore said, referring to their conversation in the infirmary three months ago. 

Severus grudgingly admitted that Dumbledore had been right. Serena cast both of them curious looks, not knowing what the headmaster was talking about. 

"So you needed the Erumpent horn fluid for brewing the antidote, not to blow up Hogwarts," Severus said, realisation dawning. "I'm surprised that you managed to make it, especially as this was what you intended to do in the first place." 

Serena didn't miss the rather obvious criticism of her non-existent potion skills, but she didn't complain. "I didn't brew it myself, I asked Professor Dumbledore for help. Since he knew our plan, it was advisable to equip him with the potion as well, just in case Lord Voldemort questioned him." 

"It was quite reassuring to see that I'm still able to brew a decent potion after all these years." Dumbledore's mild expression sobered when he cast a serious glance all around him. "Don't forget that you promised not to tell anyone about this. The Ministry of Magic still uses Veritaserum to interrogate criminals, and if they all stock up with the antidote now..." 

He trailed off, leaving it to his listeners to envisage the ramifications of a widely known antidote to Veritaserum. 

A few moments later, he added in an apologetic tone, "Please forgive us for not informing you of the amendments to the original plan. This has nothing to do with trust or lack thereof. But it was much more convincing if your shock at my death and your anger at Serena were genuine. It also minimised the chances of Lord Voldemort discovering our true intentions." 

Harry nodded in understanding, but Severus couldn't help but feel irked about not being let in on the real plan. He found it all right to leave Harry in the dark, but himself? He had already proved that he was able to fool the Dark Lord, and this more than once. Yet they hadn't told him anything. On the contrary, they had tried to exclude him entirely. 

"Instead of dropping the hair clasp, you two could just have told me that you didn't need me," Severus said, a bit of his annoyance shining through. 

"Professor Dumbledore had nothing to do with that, it was my decision to leave you behind," Serena said. "And I knew you wouldn't agree if I just asked you to stay at Hogwarts." 

"And why did you decide this? Didn't you believe me capable of helping you?" 

"Your presence wasn't necessary. So why risk your life?" 

"It's _my_ life, after all, so it should also be _my_ decision if I want to risk it. Anyway, since when does it bother you if I'm in danger or not?" 

"Oh, just forget it, okay?" Serena snapped irritably. 

Severus narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She was dodging his question. He knew her well enough by now to realise that she always did this when she was hiding something. Determined to find out what, he answered, "No, I won't. What are you keeping from me?" 

Serena shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "It doesn't matter; you found us anyway. It's no use crying over spilt milk." 

Severus scrutinised her uncommunicative expression. He surely wouldn't let her off the hook this time. 

"What's up with you, for Merlin's sake?" 

Serena bit her lower lip, staring defiantly at him, but she didn't say a word. 

"Serena!" Severus admonished her. "If you don't answer, I'm compelled to assume that my distrust in you is warranted, after all!" 

Serena rolled her eyes, giving a despairing sigh. "My goodness, if you must know it, well, I didn't want you to come with us because... because..." She sighed again, looking grim. She straightened up slightly, as if bracing herself for her next words. "Because I cared for you, okay? Despite your being a grumpy old bat, I found myself unwilling to unnecessarily expose you to mortal danger, damnit! - Now, are you satisfied?" Serena pulled an exasperated face, but her eyes didn't meet his gaze. 

Severus had been convinced that nothing about Serena would surprise him anymore, and yet he was dumbfounded by her revelation. She cared for him. In spite of all their quarrels she still had at least some positive feelings for him, and didn't want him to be harmed. 

Severus cursed inwardly. She had said _cared_ \- past tense. After his attempt to strangle her, she had probably changed her mind, reversed her feelings to the contrary. 

"Well, since all questions seem to be answered now, how about calling it a day - or rather night?" Serena asked, looking at everyone except Severus. Her cheerful voice sounded quite artificial. 

Harry nodded, yawning. "I wholeheartedly second that." 

But Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm sorry to keep you from your well-deserved sleep any longer, but there is something else I have to discuss with you, something that even Serena does not know. Jon and Hermione, however, you may leave if you like, because it does not concern you." 

"But it concerns Harry?" Hermione asked. 

"Yes, it does." 

"Then we would prefer to stay, if you don't mind," Jon chimed in, promoted by Hermione's eager nodding. Jon hadn't said much during the last minutes, just sat on his chair, his head resting on an arm that was propped on the armrest. With his heavily hooded eyes, he had given the impression that he was just about to drift off into the arms of Morpheus, but apparently he had attentively followed the conversation. 

"I expected such an answer, and you may stay with Harry," Dumbledore said mildly. Then his gaze wandered to the black tome on his desk, and again his expression became solemn. 

"This book," he began, "contains the darkest of Dark Magic. And yet it can be used for good. Whoever wrote it apparently possessed the powers of divination. In fact, this person tells us how to defeat Lord Voldemort. How Harry will do it, to be precise. But see for yourself." 

Dumbledore opened the book and showed them a richly illustrated page close to the end. Decorated with pictures and ornate patterns, it made the onlookers gasp. A single, loose page with the same content served as bookmark. 

Taking this piece of parchment out of the book, the headmaster explained, "This page is from the copy. I tore it out because I did not want Lord Voldemort to stumble across it. Missing pages are not that uncommon with ancient books, so if he had noticed it, it should not have aroused his suspicion." 

Severus snatched the single page from Dumbledore's desk and leaned back in his chair to study the sheet, while the other four crowded together to peer at the original book. 

The middle of the page was devoted to an incantation, once more composed in the Celtic language. Two pictures, one at the top and one at the bottom, illustrated the spell's effect. 

The upper picture showed three figures. One was surrounded by a bright halo that reminded Severus instantly of a sun. The second didn't have a halo, but a yellowish, zigzagged line on its head - a symbolised flash. Both stood close together, and the person with the flash pointed its wand at the right side of the picture. There stood the third figure, painted in black and about twice the size of the others. It looked as if it was just about to descend on its opponents. The background was dark and dreary, lending a gloomy atmosphere to the whole picture. 

The book was so ancient that the figures in the picture didn't even move. Hence the need for the second image that showed the result of performing the spell. 

Again, there were the three figures, but this time the dark one was smaller, not even half the size of the other two. It cowered defeated in a corner, its wand lying broken before it. The background of this picture was bright and colourful, radiating a hopeful and elated mood. 

These images struck a cord with Severus, but he couldn't quite remember what it was until Hermione blurted out, "The prophecy! This is about the prophecy!" 

"Indeed, there is too much similarity for it to be coincidence," Serena agreed with surprise. 

At this hint, Severus' memory provided him with the reminiscences of a Death Eater meeting in the Dark Lord's castle, half an eternity ago. In the middle of a speech from Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange had suddenly stood up and muttered something about a killed Sun, a surviving Flash, and the defeat of the Darkness. The Dark Lord got all fussy about it, instantly dismissing the other Death Eaters from the meeting. Serena had been there too, and had heard the prophecy as well. Soon after, Severus had forgotten about it. For him, it seemed just like another one of Bellatrix' many prophecies. 

He racked his brain, trying to remember her exact words. 

"May I help your memory along, Severus?" Dumbledore asked gently, extending a piece of parchment to him. 

Severus took it, and while he scanned the two verses, a discussion about the prediction's meaning started between the others. They all agreed on the identities of the Flash and the Darkness, but Hermione didn't seem to share the opinion of her fellow students about the Sun. 

"How come you all know about this prophecy anyway?" Severus asked a bit miffed, putting the prophecy text back on Dumbledore's desk. "Did I miss an article in the _Quibbler_ or something?" 

"I told them. I wasn't quite capable of keeping it from them," Serena informed him, shrugging her shoulders in an it's-not-my-fault-I-couldn't-help-it manner. 

"So Darkness means the Dark Lord, and the Flash is supposed to be Harry Potter," Severus summarised their debate. "And who's the Sun?" 

"That's the one-million-galleon-question," Jon said. 

"We have a theory that it's one of these people that Serena saved," Harry added, "but we don't know who exactly." 

Hermione sat in her chair, fidgeting and shifting from one edge to the other all the time. As soon as Harry took a breath, she interjected, "And I say it again, you're wrong!" 

Professor Dumbledore regarded her with an interested look. "Please tell us what you believe," he asked her. 

"With all due respect, Sir, I think that you're the Sun, Professor." 

Meeting only uncomprehending gazes except from Dumbledore, she explained, "I thought of this at the stone circle. When Professor Dumbledore cast the spell, he glowed as bright as daylight - like a sun, actually. I couldn't even directly look at him. And all the lines about the Sun in the prophecy do fit." 

Eager to prove her point, she took the parchment with the prophecy from the desk and directed their attention to the first reference of the Sun: _The Sun breaks the Darkness for a day._

"Due to the spell that Professor Dumbledore cast, Voldemort is so weak now that he's practically right out of it for at least a day or so. And here, at the end, see -" 

She marked the line _The Sun will die in torture and pain._

"- We thought that Professor Potter had killed Professor Dumbledore." 

"But I don't think that breaking one's neck would be painful," Jon objected. 

"He was under the Cruciatus Curse just before that. And only because he didn't scream doesn't mean that it wasn't painful, I suppose." Hermione looked at Dumbledore, unconsciously biting her lower lip. "Or was it, Sir?" 

"It was indeed an experience I could do without," Dumbledore answered. "But please, continue your reasoning. You are not finished yet, I take it?" 

Hermione nodded, pointing at the third and fourth lines. _But if both unite, together they'll drive The Darkness forever away._

"Professor Dumbledore has helped Harry a lot already, but today he did the most important thing: he cast the spell that made Voldemort weak. Now that Voldemort can barely defend himself, Harry has a chance to come near enough to cast the spell from this book that defeats Voldemort for good." 

Hermione closed her mouth, searching for a sign that the others had understood her reasoning and would concur with her. 

"Hermione, this is brilliant!" Jon exclaimed. Harry nodded, albeit somewhat hesitantly. 

"I could not have explained it better," Dumbledore said, causing a smile to appear on Hermione's face. 

Severus admitted that the girl had a point, but stayed silent. He would need a lot more to happen before he would openly praise a Gryffindor, especially a Know-It-All like Granger was. 

"What is this charm actually doing? Does it shrink Voldemort until we can lock him up in a cigar box?" Harry inquired with a glimpse at the illustrations. 

"The size is only symbolic, Harry. The pictures are merely saying that Lord Voldemort, strong, dangerous, and powerful before, will be deprived of his powers and will become practically harmless," Dumbledore explained. 

"I don't understand everything, but the incantation says something about the transfer of power, and here, this means _brothers_ and this _forever_ ," Hermione said. 

"You can read this?" Jon asked, highly impressed. 

"We analysed Celtic texts in Ancient Runes a few weeks ago," Hermione explained. "If I had my dictionary, I could probably translate the whole thing. But basically, it looks like the spell takes someone's powers and puts them somewhere else." 

"In fact, this spell transfers magical power from one person to another," Dumbledore explained, "So the magical abilities of the receiver will increase, while the donor will lose them." 

"I see," Harry said, understanding of the point of using this spell dawning on his face. "This will drain Voldemort of his magic until he isn't a danger for the wizarding world anymore. But I still don't get it why I have to perform this charm. I'm not even sure if I can manage this. Why couldn't you do it, Professor Dumbledore? Just because the prophecy says so?" 

Dumbledore shook his head. "This word that Hermione translated as _brothers_ can also be understood in the somewhat wider term _relatives_. And this is exactly why you, Harry, are the only one who can successfully cast this charm." 

Hermione slapped her forehead. "Of course, how could I forget, in this context it's more likely to mean relatives in general other than just brothers." 

"Quite right. This charm works best between related people - people of the same blood to be precise. See, our ability to do magic is bound to our blood, and this ability seems to recognise where it belongs to. So when magical power is transferred from one person to another, it does not stay there, but returns to its original owner after a short while. The effect of this charm can only be made permanent if blood-related people are involved. Then the magic will recognize the other person's blood as their own and stay there." 

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his eyes becoming slightly unfocused, as though he watched memories with his inner eye. 

"When I read the prophecy for the first time, I instantly remembered the illustrations in this book. From that day on, I was convinced that this spell would be our means to end the war. But I did not know how to make the effect lasting. There was no close relative of Lord Voldemort, so no one could cast the spell. But last year at his rebirth he unwittingly solved this problem for us." 

Harry's face suddenly lit up. "Then it wasn't my imagination! When I told you how Voldemort had taken my blood for his new body, I saw a short flicker of triumph in your eyes, but as it was gone again so quickly, I wasn't sure if I really had seen it." 

"You are a good observer, Harry. I tried not to let my emotions show; I did not want you to be burdened with this knowledge. You had enough to cope with at that time. Besides, I had no idea who the Sun was back then. But it was such good news that I did not quite succeed in hiding my reaction. It is not only that you are now blood-related to Lord Voldemort. You and he share practically the exact same blood. This should enable you to take over all of his magical powers, up to the point where he will not be able to perform any magic anymore." 

"So I will turn Voldemort into a Muggle?" Harry asked in amazement. 

"In principle, yes." 

Severus suddenly wondered if the universe would also be able to exist without the plentiful ironies of life, or if it would bore itself to death then. The wizard who despised Muggles more than any other wizard would become one himself. What an end of a career as an evil overlord. 

"When I transfer Voldemort's powers to me, does this mean I'll become as powerful as he is now? And as Dark as he is?" Harry asked, looking a bit frightened by this prospect. 

Dumbledore gave Harry a serious look. "Yes and no. You will get his magical abilities and become an extremely powerful wizard. But power is neither light nor dark; it is completely up to you how you use it. Great power means great responsibility, but I have faith in you that you will do the right thing with it." 

Harry gulped, looking not half as confident of his own faculties as Dumbledore appeared. After a while he nodded, though. "When am I supposed to cast this spell?" 

"In a few hours, around noon, Lord Voldemort should reach his lowest point. That would be the best time to strike. If any Death Eaters noticed the fading of the mark and sought him out to see what's up, he will have sent them away again by then." 

"Do you know this or do you assume it?" Severus asked. 

"It is an educated guess. I know that Peter Pettigrew is with him, I saw him for myself. Knowing Lord Voldemort and his pride, I think it is safe to assume that he does not want to be seen by his Death Eaters in this weak state. So he will not have any of them around except Pettigrew. I'm also quite sure that he does not expect us. He believes himself safe in Little Hangleton, because he made his quarters unplottable." 

"Little Hangleton?" Severus shook his head in disbelief. That couldn't be right. Right after Jon and Hermione's kidnapping, he had thoroughly checked Riddle Manor. It was deserted and there had been no trace of anyone having been there for months. 

Dumbledore noticed Severus' doubtful expression and explained, "He is not at the Riddle House as you apparently suppose. Tom Riddle's mother was a witch who also lived in Little Hangleton. He set his new residence in her old hut." 

A clever move, Severus thought. After the Dark Lord had left the Riddle House, Severus would have searched for him everywhere but Little Hangleton. The few people who knew that the Dark Lord was back and weren't his minions, most likely thought along the same lines - all except for Dumbledore. 

"How did you find it out? I mean, what made you look in Little Hangleton?" Severus asked. 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled again. "I was very sure that Lord Voldemort would not leave the book behind, so I enhanced it with one of your ingenious concealed Locating Charms. After I left Harry at the meadow, I followed the book." 

When no one posed any more questions, Dumbledore handed the single page from the book's copy to Harry. 

"Harry, I want you to learn this incantation. I suggest writing it down on another piece of parchment, as this one will dissolve in a few hours, just as the rest of the book. Since Hermione is familiar with the Celtic language, she could help you to get the pronunciation right." 

"I'll do my best," Hermione promised. 

"We will meet in the Entrance Hall at noon. Severus, Serena, would you come with us? Someone needs to take care of Peter Pettigrew." 

Serena nodded instantly. "Of course I'll come. I wouldn't want to miss this." 

"I'll be in the Entrance Hall at twelve sharp," Severus stated. 

Harry opened his mouth, apparently to say something, but no words came out. Instead, another hearty yawn forced his jaws wide open. 

With a glance at the wall clock, Dumbledore said, "It is past four in the morning - high time to go to sleep. Jon, Hermione, as we have Valentine's Day and the afternoon lessons are skipped anyway, you are excused from school completely today. But you would do me a great favour if you went to see Madam Pomfrey after getting some rest to ensure that you will not suffer any after-effects of your abduction. Harry, you do not have to attend lessons either, and I will see you in the Entrance Hall at twelve o'clock, all right?" 

Harry nodded, stifling another yawn. 

"Severus, Serena, I understand that you also must be tired, but I cannot exempt you from giving morning lessons. All I can offer is to release you from duty during the ball tonight. So you can leave early and catch up on lost sleep then." 

When they filed out of Dumbledore's office, Serena muttered, groaning, "Great, my first class starts in about three hours. How am I supposed to teach then? The times when I was young and celebrated all night without tiring are long gone by." 

"Poor old, infirm woman, perhaps I should cover for you? My first lesson is in the second unit," Severus teased her. The taunt hadn't been as casual as it sounded, and with a bit of anxiety, Severus waited for Serena's reaction. Would she take it lightly, like a joke, or would she glare at him, still in a huff because of his rather extreme response to her alleged betrayal? 

Serena cast him a horrified look. "For Merlin's sake, no! I can't do that to the poor children, not again!" Then she grinned, adding as an afterthought, "I think, I'll let them read their textbooks and charm my eyes to look like they're open." 

Jon laughed. "That won't work, Mum. I'm sure they'd wonder why their professor would snore like a lumberjack." 

"Watch your tongue, my friend, or I might take you to my first lesson for demonstration purposes," Serena mockingly threatened her son. "And I promise you won't get a chance to even think about snoring." 

Jon's grin vanished immediately, not sure if she was perhaps serious about this. Quickly, he hurried after Harry and Hermione towards Gryffindor Tower, where their beds waited for them.


	21. Family Ties

_(October 1981)_

Serena felt the usual dizziness from being Apparated by someone else when she and Sirius landed in a small village. She took a deep breath of the cool air that smelled a lot better than the smoke-filled atmosphere at Sirius' place. At least he had brought her in one piece to wherever they were. 

Before her queasiness could vanish completely, though, another stir in her body increased it again. It felt as if her insides were knotting and she fought the sudden urge to double up. The familiar sensations spreading through her body told her she was changing shape. Her skin became tighter, her hair grew longer and darker and her whole posture straightened up. Henrietta's Polyjuice wore off and she was transforming back into her natural self. Fortunately, the transformation didn't last long and the nausea diminished as quickly as it had come. 

Sirius adjusted her handcuffs so that she couldn't pull out her now smaller hands. Then he gave her a rough dig in her back, steering her towards an ancient-looking cottage at the end of the lane. It was built of rough-hewn stone blocks and surrounded by huge oak trees, each of which seemed to be ten times older than the cottage itself. Light shone out from a window on the upper floor, and Serena spotted a long-haired shadow pacing behind the window, rocking a small bundle. That had to be Lily, she surmised, putting little Harry to bed. 

When she tore her gaze away from the window, she caught Sirius scrutinising her with an odd look. He abruptly broke the eye contact and opened a gate in the white paling fence that surrounded the property. Without letting go of Serena's arm or taking his vigilant eyes off her, he led her across the stone path through the front garden and towards the front door. 

He knocked, firmly and briefly. It took a couple of seconds before they heard someone descending the stairs. 

Despite not having heard his voice for years, Serena immediately recognised James asking from inside, "Who's there?" 

"It's me, Padfoot," Sirius replied. 

The door opened, and for the first time in over three years Serena stood face to face with her brother. He looked different, she noticed. More grown up than the last time; more like an adult than an adolescent. She wondered if she looked different to James as well. 

Upon seeing her, James' face darkened. "Why have you brought her here?" he asked Sirius sharply. When his eyes fell on her handcuffs, he added, "And why didn't you take her to Azkaban, where she belongs?" 

"She wants to talk things out with you, she said." Sirius answered. 

"But I don't." 

During the exchange of words with Sirius, James hadn't so much as glimpsed at Serena. Now he reached for the door to close it. 

However, Serena had already steeled herself against the hostility that James would show her. Determined to use her only chance to win him round, she put her foot in the door. 

"Jim, please listen to me! I know you hate me. But you don't know all facts. Let me tell them to you! Give me five minutes, and then I'll leave. But listen to me first, please!" 

James didn't seem moved by her plea. 

"Take your foot away," he answered coldly. 

"I told you so," Sirius cut in. "You promised to leave if he didn't want to see you. Let's go." 

Serena shook her head; she didn't want to give up that quickly. It wouldn't hurt James to lend her his ears for a few minutes. Why didn't he realise that? 

She should have planned this better, she admonished herself. Her mind had been completely focused on the question of how to find James, and what to tell him about her life, but she hadn't thought much about what to do if he wouldn't hear her out, despite her pleas. 

Suddenly she got help from an unexpected source. 

"It wouldn't do any harm to spare five minutes of your time to listen to what she has to say, James. She's your sister, after all." Lily stood at the bottom of the stairs and gave her husband an insistent look. 

Momentarily indecisive, he returned Lily's gaze for a couple of seconds. Finally, he grudgingly stepped aside with a glare at Serena. "Okay then, come in. You have exactly five minutes." 

Sirius still maintained his painful grip on Serena's left arm when he led her past the front door and into the kitchen to the right side of the stairs. He bluntly refused to leave her out of his sight, even though she begged him to wait outside with Lily because what she had to say was for James' ears only. James coolly informed her that he would tell Sirius and Lily everything anyway, and that she had only four minutes left. 

Reluctantly, Serena gave in. She had asked for five minutes and they had been granted. Well aware that she wouldn't get more time by arguing who was allowed to listen, she sat down at the kitchen table and began to speak. She knew that she spilled secrets that needed to stay secret at all cost, but she was pretty confident that neither James nor Lily nor Sirius would pass on this information to the Dark Lord. Actually, right now, she didn't even care. All she wanted to do was make her brother realise that she wasn't the monster he saw her as. 

Calmly, Serena told them about Moody's visit at Hogwarts in her sixth year, her agreement to spy on Lord Voldemort, her efforts to save innocent lives and her unsuccessful attempt to steal Voldemort's Pensieve. She didn't hold back that, as a consequence, she incurred his wrath and his promise to kill not only her but all of her family. She even mentioned Bellatrix's prophecy and explained why her true occupation as spy was still a secret. Finally, she gave a description of her escape from St. Mungo's and how she had started a new life in Two Oaks. 

"... and when Albus Dumbledore wrote to me that you've got a son, I suddenly realised how much I actually missed you. I felt as if I couldn't stand it one more day without seeing you. I decided to tell you everything, hoping that you could forgive me." 

When she ended, a long silence followed, in which all three of her listeners mulled over what they had just heard. Serena had told a lot, and of course she had needed more than five minutes, but James had attentively followed her account without one single glimpse at the clock. 

Finally he cleared his throat. 

"I must admit that this was an interesting story, but how can we know that you didn't make it up?" 

"Ask Albus Dumbledore. He'll confirm it." 

Sirius shook his head. "He's away on business. We cannot reach him for the next two days." He gave her a distrustful look. "That's convenient for you, isn't it?" 

James pushed back his chair and stood up, startling Serena with the sudden, loud scraping sound of the chair's legs on the floor. Walking over to the room on the other side of the stairs, he explained, "I'll call Alastor Moody. Either she told us the truth, and then Moody'll confirm it. Or she lied, and then Moody will be delighted to arrest her, as he's been trying to do ever since she escaped before her trial." 

Serena noticed that the kitchen didn't have a fireplace. The other room probably had one, and that's why James had gone there. 

"Sirius, keep an eye on her, I don't want her to make a bolt for it if the latter should be the case," James called as an afterthought from the other room. 

"Of course," Sirius grunted. He touched the handcuffs that Serena still wore with his wand. They vibrated for a moment and sprouted extensions that connected with the armrests of the chair that she sat on. 

She didn't comment on this precaution; it was only a matter of minutes until Moody would confirm her story, and then they would remove the handcuffs. Suddenly, a thought hit her that almost made her panic: what if Moody deemed it more important to keep these things secret than the reconciliation with her brother? Moody and James were both Aurors and knew each other. But how well? Did Moody trust James enough to let him know the truth? Or would he just call Serena an imaginative liar, come to arrest her, and later send her home, telling the others that she had escaped once again? 

When she heard Moody's voice greeting James, muffled through the distance, it sounded alarmed. Surely, James wouldn't call him in the middle of the night if it wasn't important. 

Serena pricked up her ears, and heard exactly what she had dreaded. Before James could even start on reiterating what his sister had told him, Moody cut him short, denying everything. 

"Whatever she told you to win you round, it's not true. Don't believe one word from her!" 

Serena could practically feel the temperature in the kitchen drop. Sirius gave her an icy look, and Lily's expression was one of sad disappointment. Cursing the chains that kept her on her chair and prevented her from going over to the fireplace and speaking to Moody, she clung to the thought that, at least, she hadn't failed completely. To keep up the pretence of her being evil, Moody would have to stop by and pick her up. Perhaps then she could try to talk him round. Serena calmed a bit at this thought and almost failed to recognise the meaning of Moody's last words before he cancelled the connection. 

"Too bad that she's gone," Moody said calmly, not sounding the slightest bit frustrated. "I would have loved to finally arrest her. Ah well, I'll have to carry on chasing her then. I'll catch her one day, she can't evade me forever. Good night, James!" 

A hiss indicated that the flames had fizzled out. A moment later James returned to the kitchen. 

"It seems that you indeed told us the truth," he said to Serena, sounding surprised. "Take her handcuffs off, Sirius." 

Sirius scrutinised James as if he was looking for signs that his best friend had gone mental. "Pardon? Didn't Moody call her a liar just a minute ago? How come you suddenly believe her more than him?" 

"Didn't you get his message? He's not interested in arresting her, which in fact means that Serena isn't a true Death Eater. Of course he couldn't plainly say so, you never know who's listening in on the Floo." 

"Then you believe me? And forgive me?" Serena anxiously asked, hope growing in her chest. 

"Yes, I believe you. And about forgiving... There's nothing to forgive, I suppose. You didn't do wrong. But I'd be grateful if you'd forgive me for doubting you," James answered apologetically. 

Serena suddenly felt a lump building in her throat. For ages she had been longing for this moment. Her brother wasn't angry with her anymore. She blinked heavily because tears of joy welled up in her eyes and threatened to obstruct her view. 

She lifted her hands to give him a hug, but a rattling sound reminded her of the handcuffs that still restrained her to the chair. 

After a last quizzical look at James, Sirius shrugged his shoulders and touched the cuffs with his wand again. They opened and dissolved into thin air. 

Finally free, Serena flung her arms round James' neck, savouring the blissful feeling of having won back something extremely important. 

"I'm so glad that this is settled," she breathed, overjoyed. "Please, never let us quarrel again." 

"Agreed!" James answered, returning the hug. 

Lily didn't wait long before joining the embrace. "I'm glad that you came and cleared things up," she said to Serena. "James might not admit it, but when we thought you had joined the Dark side, it hurt him deeply." 

Sirius hesitated the barest of moments, and then he grinned and gave a bear-hug to all three of them. 

Finally Serena panted, laughing, "Okay, if you really believe me then please stop crushing me!" 

They loosened the embrace and sat down around the kitchen table again. Sirius suddenly burst out, "Then it _was_ him after all!" 

"Who?" James asked, not able to follow Sirius' mental leap. 

"Ronald Henderson! He was a Muggle-born and one year below us at Hogwarts. James, you must remember him, you saved him from Malfoy's hex once. Death Eaters wiped out his family shortly after he finished Hogwarts. When I was in Diagon Alley a while ago, looking for a present for Harry's first birthday, I met a man in the toy shop who looked exactly like Ronny. He bought some toys for his baby daughter. I could have sworn that it was him, but he insisted on being Xenophilius Lovegood, and having never heard of a Ronald Henderson." 

Sirius gave Serena an inquiring look. "So could it have been him?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's possible, though. The Hendersons were the first family I saved. But I have no idea about their new identities or their whereabouts; that was Moody's job." 

Before anyone could respond, they suddenly heard crying coming from the upper floor. Lily frowned. "Now we've been so loud we've woken Harry up! Great. I better look after him." She turned towards the stairs. 

"Would you mind if I join you?" Serena asked cautiously. "I'd love to meet my little nephew." 

"Oh, no, we don't mind," James answered, smiling. "He's awake anyway; by all means, go and say 'hello' to him." 

They all trooped up the stairs and entered the nursery at the end of the upper corridor. When Serena looked in the cot, she met a curious gaze from the greenest eyes she ever had seen. Harry fell silent the moment he saw her. 

"Hello, sweet little rascal. I'm your auntie Serena," she greeted him softly. 

Harry uttered an unarticulated sound and stretched his tiny hands out towards her. Serena took him out of his bed and into her arms. 

James and Lily exchanged puzzled looks. 

"I think he likes you," Lily said. "That's funny, usually he isn't very fond of strangers." 

"I must say," James added with a wide grin spreading on his face, "you look very proficient at holding him. I'm sure, if you have children one day, you'll manage them fabulously." 

"I know," Serena replied, grinning too. "In fact, I've already had more time to practise than you." 

As if to prove it, she shifted Harry sideways in a swift move. He came to rest on her hip, his back supported by her left arm. Then she used her free hand to retrieve a photograph from her robe, showing it to James, whose eyes went as wide as saucers. Curious, Lily and Sirius craned their necks to see the picture as well. The photograph showed a radiantly happy Serena, holding a toddler in her arms, who was currently busy playing with a strand of her long hair. 

"Is he yours?" James asked incredulously. 

"Of course he is, dimwit!" Lily rebuked her husband, but in an affectionate tone. "He's the spitting image of Serena!" 

Serena nodded in agreement. "This is my son Jon. Actually, his name's Jonathan, after Grandpa, but you know me, it's much too long to call him that. This picture was taken on his first birthday. He's seventeen months already. My pride and joy." 

While James gazed in wonder at the photograph, Serena looked at Harry. He had fallen asleep again in her arm. Tenderly, she put him back in his cot. 

"He inherited your eyes, Lily. And most of the rest from Jim, I'd say," she said quietly, so as not to disturb Harry's sleep. 

"Yeah," Sirius consented, grinning. "Looks like his father, the poor lad." 

James gave Sirius a deadly glare while Serena softly sniggered. 

"We better leave before you wake him up again," Lily whispered and strode towards the door. 

At the doorframe she bent down, sighing. She picked a red toy parrot from the floor and put it back on a shelf beside the door. 

"Look, James, he's done it again!" 

"He's way too young to do this. I'll check the shelf, it's probably loose." 

"You checked it already, James. Believe me, it's Harry." 

"Harry's what?" Serena asked, curious. 

"He seems to have a certain dislike for this toy parrot," James explained. "It's always lying on the floor when we come in. Lily thinks that Harry throws it out of his sight, and since he can't reach the shelf, he must be using magic to get rid of it." 

"Isn't he a bit young for doing magic?" Serena wondered. 

"That's what I said," James concurred, arching an eyebrow at Lily. 

"He probably doesn't do it consciously, but nevertheless, he does it, I'm sure," Lily answered, dismissing the objection. "In any case, we should remove this clock from his room." 

"It's a clock?" Serena cast a closer look at the familiar looking parrot. "Hey, I know this thing! It's loud, it's ugly, but I have never seen a clock more precise and reliable." 

"Yeah, that's right," James confirmed. His expression brightened up when an idea hit him. "Well, Harry doesn't like it. And basically it's yours anyway. It was a Christmas present from me, you remember?" 

She nodded cheerfully. "How could I forget?" 

James took the parrot from the shelf and handed it over to his sister. "Here, take it. Scare your own son with it. With greetings from his uncle and aunt." 

Looking at the parrot clock, Serena smiled. "Okay, I'll take it," she said. "But only to do Harry a favour." She pocketed the parrot. "Anyway, thanks!" 

"And now let's go back down," Lily whispered when the boy stirred in his cot, "You don't want to wake Harry up again, do you?" 

This time they didn't sit down in the kitchen, but in the much more comfortable living room on the left of the stairs. Lily conjured four mugs of hot coffee and then they took turns in telling about the joys and sorrows of raising children or being a godfather of one. 

"Since Jon learned to walk, nothing's safe from him anymore. I have to guard him round-the-clock," Serena said. 

"Oh, I know what you mean." Lily sighed. "And Harry always grabs something that he shouldn't, when I don't have a free hand to take it away from him." 

James laughed. "Lily's become quite adept with performing wandless Accio and Levitation Spells recently." 

The hours flew by, and by the time Lily couldn't manage to suppress a hearty yawn, the sky was already beginning to turn red in the east. 

"I suppose I've kept you long enough from sleeping. I'd better leave," Serena finally said. 

* * *

Lily wasn't the only one who yawned. Severus was deadly tired as well. He hadn't dared enter the grounds of the house, fearing that he would set off some kind of alarm. Instead, he had climbed one of the ancient oak trees on the other side of the street, and from there he had watched them through the windows, using a Magnifying Spell on his eyes. 

However, Serena showed no signs of attacking anyone. After a while, her brother had gone to the room opposite the kitchen and called someone by Floo. Since he couldn't see into the fireplace from his position, Severus hadn't been able to recognise who it was. When Potter had returned to the kitchen, Black had removed Serena's handcuffs and they had engaged in a group hug. Later the four of them had sat down in the living room and talked for hours. 

Now a new day dawned and nothing had happened that would have given Severus a chance to save James Potter and repay his life debt. His mood had reached a new all-time-low. He had sat uncomfortably in that wretched tree, stayed up all night, almost frozen to death, and all for nothing. To cap things off, his first lesson of the day would begin in less than two hours. And because he had neither found the blasted potion recipe nor had had time to recreate the potion from memory, he had no idea what to teach then. 

The front door opened and Serena stepped out, ready to leave. 

"As soon as this war's over, we'll visit you," James promised his sister. "I hope you aren't angry that Sirius will Obliviate your memory of our location." 

"Oh no, it's okay. A sensible precaution." Serena turned to Black, wearing a frown. "By the way, it was pretty careless of you to take me here. What if I had lied to you, if I'd been after Jim? You handcuffed me, but you didn't check if anyone followed me, for instance. You really should be a bit more cautious in the future. If something should happen to Jim and his family, I'll make you regret it. Be warned." 

These words had sounded extremely serious, but Serena's eyes were full of mischief. Seeing Black's embarrassed face, she broke into a laugh and a second later her brother joined in. 

Finally they all said goodbye to each other, and Black and Serena Disapparated. Severus supposed that they had gone back to Black's house where he would cast a Memory Spell on Serena. Definitely nothing that he felt the need to watch right now. He Apparated directly to Hogwarts, or at least as close as he could, and hurried by foot the rest of the way. Hopefully, he would have enough time left to gulp down a cup of the strongest coffee that the house-elves could produce before his Potions lesson started. 

* * *

Two days later, Sirius admitted to James, "I can't get Serena's words out of my head. I've put you in danger." 

James grinned at Sirius' uneasiness. "She was teasing you, didn't you notice? I know that you wouldn't do that." 

"But she was right. Of course, I would never endanger you on purpose. But unintentionally I did it. And it could happen again. I don't think that I'm suited for being Secret Keeper." 

"Oh come on, Padfoot. I trust you with my life, and that of Lily and Harry. I wouldn't do that if I wasn't completely sure that you were the right man for this job." 

"You don't know me as well as I do", Sirius said quietly. "You may trust me, but I don't trust myself." 

* * *

Having become reconciled with her brother, Serena returned to Two Oaks in a much better mood than she had left it. Henrietta was agog to hear every detail of the reconciliation, and Serena didn't tire of telling her about it. Instantly, Henrietta eagerly began to plan the Potters' visit. 

"When they come, I'll bake an apple pie. Or perhaps I should put plums in it, that'll make the pie juicier. I wonder whether they like plums? Maybe I should make both, and then they can choose..." 

Serena laughed, pointing out the fact that weeks or rather months would pass until they could come. At the moment they had to stay in hiding from Lord Voldemort, and there was no end in sight. 

One week after Serena's return, a flame roared up in the fireplace. Serena was sitting on the patio, playing with Jon, when she heard a voice calling from the living room, "Serena? Henrietta? Is someone there?" 

Curious, she went into the house to find a green shining face in the fireplace. Her face brightened up when she recognised Albus Dumbledore. 

"Why, hello, Professor!" she greeted him happily. "Long time no see! I didn't know that this fireplace is connected to the British Floo network, or I would have called you long ago. How are you?" 

Dumbledore, however, was wearing a solemn face. 

"Hello Serena. It is nice to see you too. Usually, your fireplace is not connected," he explained gravely. "A Floo technician owed me a favour and connected it for today. Something has happened and I wanted to inform you personally, before you read about it in a newspaper." 

Dumbledore's expression became even sadder. In a sudden sense of foreboding, Serena felt a cold fist reach out for her stomach and close around it. 

With a Herculean effort, she forced her tongue that had suddenly gone dry to form her next words. "What's it?" Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, trying to escape the all-oppressing fist. 

"James is dead," Dumbledore answered heavily. The words weighed upon Serena's mind like they were made out of lead. "And Lily too. Lord Voldemort has finally found and killed them. I'm so sorry." 

Serena collapsed in the nearest chair, needing something stable to support her, and she hardly noticed Dumbledore's next words. 

"There is also good news, though. Harry is alive. When Lord Voldemort attempted to kill him, he could not do it. His power is broken, and he has disappeared." 

Serena swallowed. The fist around her stomach extended its pressure to her other internal organs. Her pounding heart felt trapped like a fluttering bird, threatening to break under the force. 

How could this be? Only a few days ago, she had talked to James and Lily, had laughed with them; and now they were dead! She had missed her brother for so long, and now she wouldn't see him ever again. Now, that he finally wouldn't refuse to talk to her, he wouldn't be there anymore. 

Tears burned in her eyes. An entire family, people that she deeply cared for, were wiped away like crumbs off a table. Suddenly Serena realised that Dumbledore had said that Harry was still alive. 

Sniffling, she straightened up. "I'll come and fetch Harry," she said briskly, in a broken voice. "Can I use this fireplace or is the connection call-only?" Taking care of her nephew would hopefully help her to keep her mind away from brooding over his dead parents too much. 

Dumbledore shook his head glumly. "I'm sorry, but you cannot come. The Ministry of Magic is still searching for you. And even if they abandoned your case, they would never allow you to care for Harry. Not with your past." 

A part of the overwhelming ache in Serena found an outlet and transformed into anger. "Since when is adopting a child Ministry business? Harry's my nephew; I have every right to raise him!" 

The greenish face in the fireplace was sympathetic, but didn't give in. "Harry is a special case," Dumbledore explained calmly. "He is the Boy-Who-Lived, who survived Lord Voldemort's Killing Curse. Harry is the symbol of the end of the war, and of a new beginning. People are highly aware of him; they take notice of everything that concerns his welfare. I am afraid that they will not allow someone with Death Eater connections like you to even come near him. But do not worry, Harry will not end up in an orphanage. Lily's sister Petunia will take care of him." 

"Petunia?" Serena didn't claim to know much about Lily's family, but shouldn't she have noticed if Lily had a sister? "I can't remember a Petunia Evans. Which House was she in?" 

"She was not in any Hogwarts House. Petunia is a Muggle; as is her husband Vernon Dursley and their son Dudley. I believe that this is exactly what Harry needs now. In a Muggle family, he can grow up far from the commotion about him, as a very normal child. It is better for him not to be confronted with the fuss about who he is until he is old enough to understand it." 

Serena let out a breath that she hadn't been aware of holding. "Well, if you think that's the best for him..." She sighed. "I wonder how Lord Voldemort found them. Jim told me that they were going to use the Fidelius Charm to hide from him. Didn't they manage to perform it in time?" 

"They did, less than a week ago," Dumbledore said gravely. "And this was their undoing. Sirius Black became their Secret Keeper and he betrayed them." 

Serena stared at him in disbelief. "Sirius? This can't be. He was Jim's best friend, why should he betray my brother?" 

This time, it was Dumbledore who sighed. "We were all as shocked as you. But Sirius was their Secret Keeper; he was the only one who could give away the hiding place. And when Peter Pettigrew cornered him, Sirius openly admitted his guilt. He killed Peter and twelve innocent Muggles before he could be arrested." 

Serena's mind, at first numbed by the terrible news of James's death, slowly gathered speed again. She would never have suspected Sirius of working for Voldemort, and she tried to find an argument that supported him. But what came to her mind only supported the assumption that Sirius indeed was a traitor. 

"I begged him to bring me to Jim, but Sirius didn't want to, because he was afraid that I could try to harm Jim!" she murmured, more to herself than to Dumbledore. "It was only for show! I had this funny feeling as if he had been convinced too easily. But I didn't complain, I wanted to find Jim, after all. Sirius probably hoped that I would save him a dirty job and sell Jim to the Dark Lord!" 

Incensed, Serena began pacing in front of the fireplace. Should she have been more suspicious of Sirius? If she had warned James, instead of joking about Sirius' carelessness, would he have believed her? Would he still be alive? 

Another ramification of her visit occurred to her and drained all colour from her face. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I'm such an idiot!" More sheepishly, she added, "I'm afraid that I did something very stupid." 

Dumbledore looked at her in alarm. "What did you do?" 

"When I saw Jim, I wanted so much for us to reconcile, I told him everything. And when I say everything, I really mean every single thing - about my work as spy, about the people I saved, and about the prophecy. I was positive that Jim would keep it to himself. Sirius sat next to Jim and heard all of it. I didn't mean any harm by it. By Merlin, I thought Sirius would be as trustworthy as Jim was. He probably passed it on to Lord Voldemort the very next day." 

Serena hung her head, awaiting the inevitable admonishment for her great blunder. There was a reason for keeping secrets from everyone, even friends and family. Regardless how trustworthy people seemed, there was always room for unpleasant surprises. 

But the telling-off didn't come; Dumbledore only shook his head. "That was indeed very careless of you. But I think I can understand your motivation. However, it seems as if we were lucky. Either Sirius did not get a chance to pass on this information, or Lord Voldemort did not have enough time to do anything about it before his downfall." 

Serena gave a sigh of profound relief. "Thank Merlin." 

"Of course," Dumbledore continued gravely, "there are enough Death Eaters left who are fanatic enough to continue with Lord Voldemort's work, even though he is gone. There are quite a few who believe that he will return one day. A belief that is not unfounded. It would be rather unfortunate if the prophecy became public knowledge." 

Serena nodded. "But how can we prevent Sirius from telling anyone? What if he tries to make a deal? To use this information to save himself from Azkaban?" 

Dumbledore stroked his long beard, like always when he concentrated. "I will make sure that Sirius will not get an opportunity to pass on any information," he finally said, thoughtful. "Since he has already confessed his guilt, it should not be too difficult to convince the Wizengamot to sentence him without a trial. In light of what he did, we can assume that Sirius will never leave Azkaban again. He will not be able to pass this information on to anyone." 

Serena nodded in agreement, her face a mask of grim determination. "This could work. Of course it's highly unfair to Sirius, but selling Jim and Lily to Voldemort wasn't fair either." 

"Now that we have settled that, I have another question," Dumbledore said, changing the subject. "Alastor Moody would like to visit you some time soon. Do you mind if I tell him where to find you?" 

"No, of course not," Serena answered, wondering what Moody could possibly want. 

They exchanged a few parting words, and five minutes later the fire went out and Dumbledore was gone. 

During their conversation, James' death had temporarily drifted to the back of Serena's mind. But the lack of distraction in the suddenly silent room recalled everything with fresh intensity. Serena drew up her knees, embraced her legs, and wept. Jim was dead! She wouldn't see him ever again. He would never again play a prank. It was so unfair, he and Lily had been so young; they still had had so many years before them! And Harry was orphaned at the age of one. Would the Dursleys give him as much love as his parents had done? As she would have done if she had been allowed to raise him? She couldn't help but give vent to her tears, to cry out her loss to the world. 

When Henrietta came in and saw her friend sitting in a chair crying, she did not pry, but fetched a glass of warm milk and put her arm comfortingly around Serena's shoulders. Yet, it took a long time until Serena's tears ceased to flow. 

* * *

A few weeks later, when Serena and Henrietta had just finished their breakfast, there was an energetic knock at the front door. Henrietta opened the door, and froze. She looked rather unsure whether she should run away screaming, or if she would be better off slamming the door in the stranger's face first, and then run. Paralysed, she stared wide-eyed at the bizarre man on the threshold. 

Worried about her friend's behaviour, Serena went to see what was terrifying her. Upon recognising the visitor, she brightened up, and, overjoyed, she swept to the door and gave him a hearty welcome-hug. 

"Hello Alastor! It's so nice to see you again! Please, come in!" she greeted Moody and ushered him into the house. 

"Henrietta, this is my dear old friend, Alastor Moody." 

When Serena introduced Moody as an old friend, great relief washed over Henrietta's face. Despite his somewhat intimidating appearance, she plucked up her courage and took his offered hand, welcoming him into her home. 

Since Serena had last seen Moody, several scars had been added to his appearance. A big chunk of his nose was missing and he had lost an eye. The eye socket wasn't empty, though. An unnaturally blue, unnervingly staring, obviously magical eye incessantly swivelled around in the eye socket, totally independent from the other eye. 

Still nervous, Henrietta watched it for a while. When Moody looked at her with it, she fled to the kitchen, muttering about making some tea. 

Noticing her uneasiness, Moody took care not to gaze at Henrietta too often with his magical eye after she returned. When he commended her on the superb flavour of the tea that she cultivated in her garden, she finally warmed to his unusual appearance and relaxed a little. She even managed to ask him a few questions about life in good old England, now that You-Know-Who wasn't around anymore. 

Jon, on the other hand, was absolutely fascinated by Moody's magical eye, and not scared in the slightest. He watched it spin around with rapt attention, and when Moody looked at him, he laughed out loud with childlike glee. 

After the introductory small talk, Moody gave an account of life in the Old World. Much had changed since Voldemort's downfall. Serena was glad to hear that most Death Eaters were captured or dead. Quite a number of them were still free, however, since many had claimed that they were forced into their actions through blackmail or the Imperious Curse. Others had covered their tracks so perfectly that he Ministry couldn't prove anything against them. 

Serena wondered what had become of Severus. She considered him to be too proud to hide behind a lame excuse like the Imperious Curse. His function as the Dark Lords' personal potion brewer wasn't the world's best kept secret either. Chances were good that he had ended up in Azkaban. 

"Oh, and I have something for you," Moody interrupted her ponderings. "A late birthday present, if you like." 

He rummaged about the pockets of his travelling cloak, and finally produced a roll of parchment that wore the seal of the Ministry of Magic. 

She curiously broke the seal and perused the document. The letter informed her that all charges against her had been dropped, and that the warrant of arrest had been declared void, signed by Bartemious Crouch, the Ministry's Chief Prosecutor. 

Her heart made a joyful leap. "They acquitted me! Great Merlin! How on earth did you manage that?" 

"It wasn't me, the credit belongs to Albus. He pestered Crouch so long until he signed it just to be left alone. The miraculous disappearance of all evidence against you certainly helped the matter along as well as the lack of eyewitnesses to testify against you." 

Even if Moody's magical eye didn't posses an eyelid, Serena could have sworn that he had winked when telling her about the loss of all evidence against her. She decided that she better not ask how such a thing could happen. 

"No eye witnesses?" she asked instead, nonplussed. "What about Rosier?" She couldn't imagine why any of her former Death Eater fellows would refuse to drag her in, in the hopes that the Ministry of Magic would throw her into Azkaban, after seeing that the Death Eaters hadn't managed to find and kill her. 

"He's dead," Moody growled, unconsciously pinching his nose. "Wouldn't come quietly when I cornered him. He even took a chunk of my nose with him." 

So that's what happened to Moody's nose, Serena thought. Well, being dead was indeed a reason to keep silent. "What about Malfoy?" Would she be so lucky to hear that Malfoy was dead as well? 

"Claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse and unable to remember a thing." Moody's expression told clearly how believable he deemed Malfoy's statement. 

"And Sev?" Severus had been the third and last member of their little team who possessed memories, albeit wrong ones, of Serena murdering innocent people. 

"He won't testify against you." When Serena looked impressed because she would never have expected this, he added grimly, "Don't feel flattered. He certainly isn't doing it for you. Albus vouched for him, so he was spared a stay in Azkaban. Told the Ministry that Snape turned spy and is not a Death Eater anymore." Moody issued a contemptuous snort. "I wouldn't have vouched for him. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater, I say. And the whole spy thing - Albus never before mentioned anything hinting at Snape being one of us. Isn't it odd that none of us knew about such an arrangement?" 

He shook his head in disbelief. "I tell you what I think happened. Your fine friend traded his freedom for yours. He made a bargain with Albus, promising not to compromise you, and Albus got him off the hook in return." Moody snorted again. "I hope this spy tale will backfire on Snape - when the other free Death Eaters hear about it, hopefully they'll turn on him." 

Serena was shocked. It wasn't like Severus to make Dumbledore lie for him to save his skin. It wasn't like Dumbledore to lie. But then, Azkaban was a scary place. If Dumbledore hadn't seen any other way... And Severus was a Slytherin; Slytherins had no problems cutting down a bit on their personal pride when it was necessary to prevent greater harm being done to them. Anyway, in all probability, she would never meet him again, so there was no point in burdening her mind with musings over his motives. It sufficed that he had kept silent and the Ministry had dropped her charge without Dumbledore having to disclose the prophecy. 

"So I'm free now? Free to return to Britain? To see Harry?" A hopeful glow lit her face. 

"You can go wherever you like. Except near Harry - in this respect the Ministry was uncompromising. You're banned from visiting him, talking to him or otherwise trying to contact him. I'm sorry." 

Serena swallowed. No Harry. At least she wasn't a wanted criminal anymore - she should be grateful for what Dumbledore had achieved instead of crying over what he hadn't. And perhaps, sometime later, when the dust had settled a bit, perhaps then the Ministry could be convinced to cancel the ban. 

"There's another reason why I came here -" Moody began, but he didn't get around to finishing his sentence. Suddenly, Serena jumped up in an urgent need to chase after her son. Jon had decided that a roll of parchment with a nice red seal on it made for a great toy and had snatched it from the table, hurrying out of the room with his haul clutched to his chest. It took Serena a few minutes and a cookie to convince the boy to leave the parchment to his mother without crying for the rest of the day. 

When she finally returned, Moody got up from his seat. 

"Serena, it's time to go. But first I'd like to hear your opinion about something. Could you accompany me?" 

She nodded, with a questioning look. "Sure. Where to?" 

Moody didn't answer, simply grasped her arm and Disapparated with her. 

At their destination, Serena gazed around, wondering why Moody had brought her there. Prairie stretched in all directions - an ocean of waving grass as far as her eyes could see. The only other thing was an assembly of rocks, approximately a few hundred feet in diameter and as high as a steeple. 

"Where are we?" she asked, overwhelmed. 

"We're still in Iowa, about a hundred miles away from Two Oaks," Moody explained and set off in the direction of the rocks. 

"And what do you want to show me? These stones?" 

"Sort of," he muttered and pointed his wand at them. 

Suddenly the rocks began to flicker, as if hot air was rising in front of them and disturbing the view. Then they became transparent and vanished completely, unveiling a group of buildings. A five storey building was surrounded by several smaller, two and three storey houses. They all looked like they had been recently renovated - the walls were gleaming white, renewed windows with sparkling clean window-panes had been installed, and the roofs were newly tiled. 

Serena could see busy wizards and witches hurry between the buildings. One wizard levitated a black board and carried a large box with his other hand. Another wizard followed him with a pile of benches that threatened to crash down any moment; however, both of them disappeared from sight without losing anything. 

Then a witch exited one of the smaller buildings, followed by a group of pillows and bed sheets. Only at second glance, Serena saw that the sheets and pillows weren't floating, but were carried by a couple of house-elves, who were almost entirely hidden under the heaps of white fabric. 

"This is the American Auror Academy," Moody explained when they stepped between the buildings. "At least it used to be. When we ran short of Aurors during the war and obtained reinforcements from Ireland, and later from all of Europe and America, Voldemort reacted quickly and destroyed every facility that trained Aurors. The former headmaster of this academy, and the few students and professors who survived the attack two years ago, have been busy hunting Death Eaters ever since. But now that the war is over, the survivors have returned to rebuild the academy. The buildings are reconstructed, the furnishings are mostly set, and the campus is more or less ready to be swarmed with new students. Come, Serena, I'll show you around a bit." 

Motioning for her to follow him, Moody set off walking around the campus. Curious, she followed him. He showed her the refurnished classrooms, the dormitories, a new Quidditch pitch, the gymnasium, and much more. He also took the opportunity to introduce her to several wizards and witches whom they met on their tour. 

Two hours later, Serena decided that she had seen enough. "Alastor, what's the point of showing me all this?" she asked. 

Moody regarded her with an amused look. "I thought you would have figured it out by now," he answered. "The point is that the courses start soon; at the beginning of September, to be precise. Not many professors have been able to return, and the headmaster still hasn't found enough people to cover all subjects yet. Someone with your skills and experiences is urgently needed here, and you would be most welcome. You could share your knowledge with others. For instance, you could teach the Aurors-to-be how to stand up to Dark Magic." 

"Stand up to Dark Magic? So you think I'd know enough to make lessons out of it?" 

Moody gave her a lop-sided grin. "Albus told me about your nightly visits in the Restricted Section - the day when I came to Hogwarts to offer you a job as spy. Naturally, I thoroughly questioned him about you beforehand." 

She had always suspected that Dumbledore had informed Moody, but until now, she hadn't been sure. "Why did you still offer me this job then?" she asked, baffled. 

"You proved that you could do things on your own initiative. And you managed to go unnoticed except by Albus, and that was only because he happened to see you one night - Invisibility Cloaks don't fool him, you know. I think this qualified you more than anything else to become a spy." 

At a loss for words, she continued to stare at Moody in utter astonishment, mouth slightly agape. Unperturbed, he carried on, "You've had quite an extended holiday. Your son is now how old? Two? He's certainly old enough that you don't need to be there for him twenty-four-seven. You could leave him with Henrietta during the day. The academy isn't that far from Two Oaks, you always can Apparate home in the evenings. And teaching here would certainly be more interesting than painting Henrietta's house for the fourth time." 

"You really want me to teach here? But the students can't be much younger than I am. They wouldn't respect me as their professor, would they? - And what about you? You're certainly much more qualified to teach here." 

"Oh no. All my life I've caught villains, most of them Death Eaters, and I lost quite a few parts of me on the way. I've had enough of it. I'll retire on my well-earned pension soon." 

Hesitating for a moment, he studied Serena's face. He seemed to like what he saw, because his face lit up when he added, "You don't have to decide right now, Serena, but please don't leave your acceptance until September, okay?" 

"My acceptance? So you assume that I'll accept?" 

Moody grinned again. "Of course I do. I think I know you well enough to predict your decision. As nice as it may be to lead a life of leisure with Henrietta and Jon, it really isn't to your palate in the long run. You crave a bit of variety in your life, and it is offered to you here. Teaching would give you a task, would give you a purpose again. Plus, it's a challenge that you can't resist, am I not right?" 

And he was right; Serena had already started to like the idea of training the next generation of Aurors very much.


	22. The Prophecy Becomes True

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You probably already noticed that this story deviates heavily from _Order of the Phoenix_ and all following Harry Potter books, because it was planned long before book five came out. But since this chapter features the greatest ignorance of later canon so far, here's a reminder: This story is AU! Canon purists, don't read this! Or at least, please don't yell at me for what happens. Thanks! :o)

_(February 1996)_

Cornelius Fudge wasn't the only one who had tried staying awake, only to finally be overtaken by sleep. When Harry, Hermione, and Jon entered the Gryffindor common room, they found Ron slumped in an armchair, his head bent backwards, his mouth slightly open, and emitting soft snoring noises. 

"I'm beginning to think Ron's favourite place to sleep is in an armchair," Harry whispered with amusement, remembering the day before when he had returned from the Dueling club, and found his friend in almost exactly the same uncomfortable position. 

"We should wake him up and send him to bed," Hermione suggested, also whispering. 

Jon shook his head, a big yawn preventing him from speaking. Finally, when he could close his mouth again, he objected, "If we wake him up, he won't let us rest until we've told him everything about tonight. I'm too tired to go back over thirty hours of being kidnapped and rescued. I'd rather fill Ron in tomorrow." 

"You have a point there," Harry admitted thoughtfully. "But we can't leave him in this position. My back hurts from simply looking at him in this posture. He'll ache all over in the morning, and it'll be a bit unnerving to tell a story while he's groaning all the time." 

"All right." Jon took his wand out. "Let's hope that he's sleeping too deeply for this to wake him. _Mobilicorpus_!" 

He carefully levitated the sleeping boy out of the armchair, up the stairs to their dorm and finally onto Ron's bed with Harry lighting the way for him. 

"But don't expect me to change his clothes," Jon finally said when Ron was safely laid down. 

"For Merlin's sake, no!" Grinning, Harry spread a blanket over the redhead and then collapsed on his own bed. 

Harry's eyelids dropped lower and lower while he watched Jon walking over to his bed. As soon as Jon disappeared behind the drapes of his four-poster, Harry muttered, " _Nox_!" 

He didn't bother to remove his clothes. Fatigue, heavy like lead, had lurked in the back of his consciousness for quite a while. Suddenly he wasn't able to hold it back any longer, and he wasn't willing to do so either. He was fast asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. 

His sleep didn't last long, though, as he was rather abruptly woken up by an excited voice yelling close to his ears, "Harry, you're back! Why didn't you wake me up when you returned? I'm dying to know what happened! Is everything all right?" 

With some difficulty, Harry pried his eyes open. A mass of red hair obstructed his view, and an enthusiastic hug threatened to cut off his supply of air. It was still dark outside, and only a couple of candles bathed the dormitory in a diffuse light. 

"Ron," he groaned sleepily, "please... don't yell! What time is it? And let go of me, I'm suffocating." 

"Almost seven," Ron answered, realising that the hug had indeed been a bit tight. He quickly let go of Harry, but didn't retreat from his bed. "Time to get up. And I want to hear all about last night." 

"Merlin, I went to sleep a scant three hours ago," Harry grumbled. "Let me sleep, please! I'm excused from lessons today. I'll fill you in later." Determined to disregard Ron's curiosity, he turned around and pulled his blanket over his head. 

"Very well," Ron groused after being so blatantly ignored. "But I'll be back at lunchtime, and then you'll tell me everything down to the last detail!" 

Harry managed to utter an affirmative grumble before he fell asleep again. 

***

When Harry woke up the next time, the sun had already risen. A strange rhythmic noise had jerked him away from his dreams and after waking enough to get back his senses, he realised that someone was knocking repeatedly on the door. 

He cast a look around, searching for someone who could answer it for him, but he was alone. The majority of this dorm's inhabitants were attending lessons right now, he remembered, and Jon's bed was deserted too. 

Sighing, but unwilling to leave his warm and snug bed, he asked, "Who's there?" 

"Hermione," sounded the answer from outside. "Harry, it's half past ten, and you haven't practised the incantation yet. So will you get up now or do I have to come in?" 

"I'll get up," Harry answered in a mollifying tone, heaving another sigh. So much about staying in his cosy bed any longer. "I'll be down in the common room in a few minutes, okay?" 

"Okay," Hermione replied. The sound of her steps descending the stairs faded away. 

Ten minutes later, Harry had showered, brushed his teeth, and changed into fresh clothes at top speed. In a sense of duty, he ran his hands through his hair, even though he was aware of its futility, and then he set foot in the common room. 

The room was deserted except for Hermione and Jon. Harry mused over the fact that Hermione most probably would have attended her lessons despite being excused today, if she hadn't volunteered to help Harry with the Celtic spell. It was a dizzying thought. 

Hermione was sitting on a sofa and had wrapped an arm around Jon's shaking shoulders, speaking soft, comforting words to him. When Harry stepped closer, he noticed that Jon had his face buried in his palms and was uttering irregular sobs. His hands were wet with tears. 

"Hey Jon, what's wrong?" Harry asked, concerned. Instead of answering, Jon heaved another sob. 

"Spike's dead," Hermione told him, and Harry suddenly remembered. He had seen Serena sitting on the foot of the stairs, with the dead tomcat in her lap. But with everything that had happened afterwards, Spike had slipped his mind.

"Hagrid found Crookshanks under the Whomping Willow and brought him back this morning," Hermione continued. "It reminded Jon of what happened to Spike - Pettigrew killed him right in front of Jon's eyes." 

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, unsure what else to say. 

"Mum gave me Spike when I started at Warwick's," Jon whispered with a quaver in his voice, wiping his eyes. "Since then, we've never been apart for more than a few hours. Now he's gone, and he'll never return." A new, vainly suppressed sob escaped from his throat. 

Jon swallowed and wiped his eyes again, apparently feeling uneasy about crying in public, even if Harry and Hermione were the only ones to witness it. When his breathing finally became more even, Hermione gave him a last reassuring squeeze and took her arm off his shoulders. 

She scrutinised his crestfallen face and asked tenderly, "Is it okay to leave you alone for a while? Harry needs to learn the spell, you know." 

Jon nodded apathetically. "Yeah, I'll cope." 

He turned toward Harry, gazing at him with a desperate expression. "Promise me that, when you defeat Voldemort, Wormtail'll also get what he deserves." 

Harry nodded, displaying more confidence than he actually felt. He wasn't sure if he would even be able to defeat Voldemort, let alone deal with his Death Eaters. But he understood Jon's wish for revenge only too well. "I'll do what I can, mate," he answered reassuringly. 

Jon acknowledged Harry's promise with a grunt and then walked away. He chose a seat next to the window and, silently brooding, he busied himself with staring out over the grounds. 

Compassion shining in her eyes, Hermione watched him. "I tried to comfort him, but I suppose only time will be able to help him get over it," she said quietly to Harry. 

Harry nodded without saying a word. He remembered well how much pain Cedric's death had caused him, and he hadn't been as close to Cedric as Jon had been to Spike. During the first weeks after the Third Task, he had thought that Cedric's death would haunt him forever, for every night for the rest of his life. But true to the saying that time heals all wounds, it had become gradually better and the nightmares had diminished throughout the last months. He hoped that time would ease the loss of Spike for Jon too. 

"And Snape couldn't even be bothered to show consideration for Jon's grief," Hermione told him, frowning in disapproval of Snape's insensitiveness. "He deducted twenty points from Jon and me each this morning for leaving the castle after dark. He wanted to give us detention, too, but Professor McGonagall insisted that being kidnapped was punishment enough. And as our Head of House she had the last say, fortunately." 

This was so typical of Snape, Harry thought. If they had been Slytherins, he certainly would have awarded them the same amount of points for not breaking down in the face of danger, ignoring the fact that they had broken rules. And Snape probably never would let any of them live it down that he personally had set out to save their lives - even if he hadn't contributed much to their rescue. 

A richly filled plate that floated from the mantelpiece to their table distracted him from his resentful thoughts about Snape. 

"Here, I saved some breakfast for you," Hermione explained and cast a heating spell on the sausages and scrambled eggs. "You'll need all your strength." 

As if on cue, Harry's stomach suddenly rumbled noisily. Grateful, he started emptying the plate. 

In the meantime, Hermione rummaged among the books that littered the table in front of them. Besides a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ , Harry noticed textbooks about Celtic runes, the Celtic language, and the history of Celts. He hoped that Hermione didn't plan to launch into a comprehensive foray into Celtic culture. They wouldn't have the time for it, and he probably wouldn't remember it anyway. 

But Hermione seemed well aware that they had less than two hours until lunchtime, and all she did was shut one book after another, clearing up the table. When she closed the big tome of _Hogwarts: A History_ , however, she couldn't refrain from mentioning, "Imagine, Harry, there's indeed no death date given for Salazar Slytherin. Professor Potter truly did her homework. The book mentions also that Slytherin experimented with immortality. This was actually the reason why he left Hogwarts - the other founders found out that he used students as guinea pigs and they decided to put an end to it. - Ah, here it is!" 

She pulled a piece of parchment out of a Celtic dictionary and showed it to him. "While you were sleeping, I worked with the spell. What you see here is a transcription into letters that you can read." 

Harry stared blankly at the page that was filled with strange words. They were written in Latin letters, but didn't make more sense to him than the Celtic runes. He had to admit, though, that when Hermione read it out for him, it somehow sounded cool - in fact, it sounded a lot cooler than his feeble attempts at copying her recital. 

They spent the next hour going through the spell word by word, Harry speaking it out loud and Hermione correcting him until he got the pronunciation right. In addition, she gave him background information about the meanings of the words. 

"You have to know what the spell is supposed to do - just parroting the words won't suffice," she explained patiently. "You have to know its meaning and to concentrate on your intention to get Voldemort's powers; or nothing will happen. Or worse, you initiate a transfer, but it goes in the wrong direction... means that _your_ powers would go to _him_." 

Harry sighed and tried to memorise as much as he could of the never-ending stream of information that she fed to him. He felt like he was back in fourth year, when Hermione had helped him to prepare for the Tournament and had provided him with much more facts than he had been able to remember. 

"And don't forget to wield all your magical strength upon casting the spell. Voldemort might be weakened, but the bond between a wizard and his magic is strong, and it needs much power to break it." 

"This is good advice, Harry," a familiar female voice suddenly sounded from the portrait hole. Serena entered, holding a lidded willow basket in her arms. Despite the rather short night and the resulting lack of sleep she didn't seem tired; on the contrary, she appeared cheerful and lively. A bit too lively, actually, like someone who had too much caffeine running through their veins, Harry mused. 

"You don't believe how stubborn that Fat Lady can be," she chatted cheerfully, scanning the Gryffindor common room with unveiled interest. "At first she wouldn't let me in, just because I'm a former Slytherin. But what is the point of being a Hogwarts professor if you can't get in everywhere?" 

Harry noticed that her cheeks were flushed a little, but he couldn't say if it came from climbing all the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, from annoyance about the Fat Lady, or too much coffee - probably a bit of everything. 

"She finally had to admit that I had a valid password, though." Satisfaction flitted over Serena's face as she purposefully strode over to the window and gently put the basket onto Jon's lap. "Hey, Jon," she greeted him softly. "How are you? Well enough to take a little gift? It's supposed to lift your mood a bit." 

Jon stared at the basket, his expression full of scepticism. Apparently, he couldn't think of anything that would make him happy, except getting Spike back. But Spike was dead, and the dead couldn't be brought back to life. "What's in there?" he asked, not actually sounding interested in the answer. "Tons of sweets?" 

"Of course not! I'm your mother!" Serena said in mock indignation, "I wouldn't try to comfort you with sugar! It's enough that Harry has one obese cousin! Open it and see for yourself!" 

Curious, Hermione and Harry left their seats at the sofa and stepped closer to the window in order to see what was in the basket. 

When Jon found himself the centre of attention, being regarded with one expectant and two curious gazes, he sighed and half-heartedly opened the lid. 

Hermione gave a squeal of delight. "Aww, this is so cute!" 

Jon stared into the basket, temporarily speechless. It contained a small kitten, which was a bit daunted by the brightness that suddenly poured into its shelter. It tried to hide between the folds of the blanket that padded the insides of the willow basket. Jon reached into the basket and pushed the blanket aside to have a closer look at the kitten, but he only got a glimpse of it, as it quickly crouched deeper into the folds. Yet it was enough to make him gasp in surprise. The kitten was almost completely black, only its paws, the tip of its tail, and its right ear were white. It looked like an exact copy of Spike, just two sizes smaller. 

"May I introduce Spike Junior to you?" Serena said and smiled at her son. 

Jon was perplexed. "But... it looks like Spike! How... Where did you get it?" 

"Well, do you remember Spike's interest in a certain cat named Mrs. Norris?" Serena asked, fighting to keep a straight face. Her efforts were only partially successful; her amusement was clearly showing through. "Mr. Filch was apparently unable to prevent Spike from 'seeing' her. And then, one day, he almost suffered from a heart attack when he found Mrs. Norris suckling a kitten. Well, from the looks of it, it's pretty clear that Spike's the father, or have you ever seen another cat that looks like this? I had offered to adopt the kitten from Filch, but I suppose, now that Spike's gone, you wouldn't mind to take care of Spike Junior?" 

Jon looked at his mother, then back at the kitten, still recovering from the surprise. Apparently, Spike Junior had gathered some courage and decided to leave the safety of the blanket. He peeked over the brim of the basket and met Jon's gaze with curious blue eyes. Jon took him out, and the kitten snuggled up against his warm hands. 

"He seems to like you," Harry commented, smiling. 

Jon nodded, still at a loss for words. His expression lightened; it changed from poignant grief to pure wonder in a few moments. He gave the kitten's head a tentative stroke, and Spike Junior instantly started purring. 

Pleased, Serena left her son and the kitten to themselves and turned to Harry. "Well, and now to you. Ready to double your fame by the end of the day?" 

"I don't think that I'll ever be ready to face Voldemort for a battle," Harry muttered. "And I'm not interested in fame either. But given the circumstances, I'm as ready as I can be, I suppose." 

"Come on, you can do this! I have faith in you," Serena reassured him. "Under pressure, you've always done the right things so far. You'll do it again, no doubt." 

At that moment, the portrait hole opened and Ron entered the common room. When he spotted his friends, his face brightened up. "You're awake! Hermione, Jon - I'm so glad you're back! Now tell, Harry, what happened last night?" 

Harry opened his mouth but Serena beat him to an answer. Shaking her head, she said, "Sorry, Ron, but not now. Harry must go." 

"Go? Now?" Harry asked, puzzled, and checked the wall clock. "But it isn't noon yet." 

"I know, but we can't wait much longer. The book dissolved half an hour ago, sooner than we thought. If Lord Voldemort should decide to go hiding somewhere else, we have no chance of finding him in time." Serena fell silent for a moment, checking her arm. "The Dark Mark is rather pale; he won't get much weaker than this anyway." 

Ron didn't understand anything, and he didn't hide that he hated being the only one left in the dark. "Harry must go? Why? Where? What's with Voldemort? Could someone please explain to me what's going on?" he demanded. In his consternation he didn't even realise that he had said _Voldemort_ for the first time without shuddering. 

"I'll tell you, Ron, okay?" Hermione offered, while Harry cast Ron an apologizing look and stormed off to his dorm in order to exchange his slippers for stout shoes and to get a warm cloak. 

"Don't forget the spell," Serena reminded him upon his return, opening the portrait hole. 

When Harry snatched the parchment with Hermione's transcription from the table, Hermione and Jon wished him good luck. Ron followed suit for good measure, even though he didn't know what Harry needed the luck for. 

While they headed down to the Entrance Hall, Serena quickly explicated their action plan to Harry. Professor Dumbledore and Snape were already waiting for them by the large oak doors. 

For the second time in twelve hours, Harry set out to meet Lord Voldemort, accompanied by Dumbledore, Snape, and Serena. But this time he wasn't only bait, who was just required to be present without doing anything. This time he was the one shouldering all the responsibility. If he failed, then the whole plan failed. 

On their walk out of Hogwarts grounds, he noticed that the sun shone as if there was no tomorrow. Which might even be true for some of them, he thought queasily. 

Once outside of the barrier that protected Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore grasped Harry's shoulder and they all Apparated into a gathering of beech trees. When Harry looked to the right, he could see a few houses in the distance that apparently belonged to the village of Little Hangleton. Squinting through the trees, he could even make out a hill with a huge building on top of it - the Riddle House. A cold shiver ran down his back, when he remembered his last visit in Little Hangleton - he had been in a graveyard, fighting for his life, and he had seen the Riddle House too, though closer and from a different angle. 

Harry followed Dumbledore's gaze and spotted a nearby wooden hut, built in front of a rock face. About half a mile outside of the village, and surrounded by large trees and rocks, the tiny cabin was effectively hidden from prying Muggle eyes. He felt his insides knot with uneasiness. This was the place where Voldemort's mother had lived before she had married Tom Riddle. This was the place where the Darkest and most dangerous wizard that the wizarding world had ever seen had been born. And this wizard was now hiding here, and Harry would soon face him and - if everything went well - would defeat him for good. He didn't even dare think about what would happen if things _didn't_ go well. 

Under cover of the trees, they approached the hut. At first glance, it was dilapidated and deserted - planks were nailed over the broken windows, moss gathered in the gutter and bricks had fallen from the crooked chimney. A wonky, formerly white fence, which was missing a number of fence posts, surrounded the hut and the overgrown garden. On closer inspection, however, Harry noticed that the planks had been removed from the front door, the weeds were trodden down between the cabin's front door and the fence gate, and a thin stream of smoke emerged from the flue. 

Now that they were here, he felt his nervousness steadily increase. He put his hands in his pockets, seeking reassurance in feeling the dry, rough parchment with the spell on it. 

Snape tapped his wand against his cloak, muttering a few words, and the cloak turned jet black. Harry recognised it at once as a Death Eater cloak. Then Snape took a swig from a small bottle containing a murky grey liquid. Harry watched him growing rigid and clenching his teeth when his face started changing. He remembered his own transformation into Goyle in his second year. It had been unpleasant at the least, and painful at the worst moments. Snape didn't utter any sound when his body grew a little larger and his black hair became longer and turned pale blond. When the Polyjuice Potion had finished its work, Snape bound the long hair together in a ponytail at his nape. 

"Didn't you say you don't have Polyjuice when Professor Dumbledore asked you?" Harry wondered. 

"I didn't have any at that time," Snape answered with the slightly higher voice of Lucius Malfoy. "Last night, Jon mentioned the Potions Club at Warwick's, and I thought it's worth a try. I called them via Floo, and as it happened, they had brewed Polyjuice Potion just last week. It's not of the best quality, made by students, and probably won't last very long. Which means we have no time to lose." 

At the last sentence, he looked at Serena, who nodded and pulled the hood of her cloak deep into her face. Then Snape gave her a rough push at the back, making her stumble out in the clearing and toward the shack. 

"There's a barrier around the hut," Dumbledore explained quietly to Harry. "No one can get in from outside; someone inside has to take down the barrier first. Stay behind the trees, so that you won't be seen." 

Harry retreated completely behind a beech tree for cover. But only a few seconds later he peeked around the trunk again, curiosity getting the better of him. 

Snape and Serena had reached the fence meanwhile. The Potions Master poked the air above the gate with his wand and revealed a sparkling, bell shaped force field that encircled the entire hut. 

The front door opened, and a chubby, balding Death Eater put his head out. "What d'you want? The master didn't summon anyone!" Wormtail called, sounding annoyed about the disturbance. 

"I ask for an audience with the Dark Lord," Snape answered, not commenting on the unfriendly greeting. Not only the sound of his voice was different, his speech was different as well, drawling and more pronounced. While the altered voice was a result of the Polyjuice Potion, the different speech pattern came from Snape's conscious effort. Harry noticed that Snape did the imitation of Lucius Malfoy almost perfectly. Perhaps it wasn't the first time that Snape impersonated Malfoy, Harry thought. This would also explain why he had had hair from Malfoy on hand. 

Wormtail apparently fell for the disguise; at least he didn't show any sign of suspicion. "Come back later, Malfoy," he answered dismissively. "The dark Lord doesn't receive anyone today." 

But Snape would not be sent away that easily. "I know what's happened to him. I caught the traitorous witch who's responsible for this. She knows how the damage can be undone." 

With these words, Snape seized the back of the hood of Serena's cloak and took it down. Wormtail's eyes widened upon recognising her, and he gazed at her with a mix of repugnance and interest. He inclined his head toward the inside of the hut, listening to orders that the others outside couldn't hear. Finally he nodded and approached the gate, scrutinising Serena's inert form and her empty, detached stare. 

"What did you do to tame her?" Wormtail asked. "I don't see any chains." 

"She's bound by the Imperius Curse," the false Malfoy lied without batting an eyelid. "Would you let us in now?" he added impatiently, like someone who was used to being obeyed immediately. 

Wormtail cast a last glance at Serena's blank, blue eyes that didn't meet his and then he waved his silvery hand to dissolve the shield. When he gestured them inside, Snape gave Serena the clearly audible order to follow Wormtail, and then stepped through the gate behind her. The moment that Wormtail turned his back on them to show the visitors inside, however, they both pointed their wands at him. Harry didn't get to see how the attack went; with the barrier down nothing prevented Dumbledore from Apparating into the hut, and he took Harry with him. 

Inside, the cabin was even tinier than outside. They had landed in a room that took up most of the interior of the hut and served as kitchen, living room, and bedroom in one. As Dumbledore had expected, there were no other Death Eaters present. Voldemort sat alone on a ragged bed across from the door. He seemed to have shrunken, his wrinkled skin was as white as a sheet and nothing was left of the exuberance of the previous night. Even the intimidating glow of his red eyes was gone. When Harry and Dumbledore appeared, he had already drawn his wand, having heard the commotion of the attack on his servant. 

"Dumbledore," he breathed with hatred, and his wand immediately twitched weakly in their direction. " _Avada_ -" 

" _Expelliarmus_!" Dumbledore interrupted him quickly, and the wand flew out of Voldemort's hand. 

A second later, Malfoy-Snape and Serena entered, dragging a violently resisting Wormtail with them. Voldemort narrowed his eyes in anger when he saw them. 

"What do we do with his hand?" Serena asked, assisting Snape who had a hard time holding the silver hand in check and keeping its aim away from everyone. Wormtail gave violent jerks at irregular intervals, attempting to free his arm from Snape's firm grip. 

"I vote for chopping off," Snape panted when a flash of light erupted from the silver index finger and burned a black hole in the back wall. Wormtail gave a shriek of panic; he certainly wasn't keen on reliving the painful experience of having a hand cut off. 

"Stunning him should suffice," Dumbledore decided, never once taking his eyes off Voldemort. 

Serena nodded and one second later, Wormtail lay unconscious on the floor. Voldemort followed the scene with growing resentment. 

"What do you want?" he hissed at Dumbledore, his eyes flickering menacingly between Dumbledore's face and the wand in his hand. "Have you come to see if your coup worked? And why did you bring _him_ along - to gloat over my weakness?" His red eyes pierced Harry, who shivered, even if he knew that at the moment he had nothing to fear from Voldemort. 

"We came to finish what we began last night," Dumbledore answered solemnly, pocketing Voldemort's wand. 

"I thought you considered killing to be beneath you, Dumbledore. Or have you perhaps changed your mind, now that you finally managed to gain the upper hand?" Dumbledore's spell had worked excellently; Voldemort was so weak that he didn't even find the strength to revolt against his near defeat. 

"We did not come to kill you," Dumbledore replied calmly. "Unlike you, Tom, we are not murderers. But Harry will make sure that you will not harm anyone ever again." 

"Don't call me that!" Lord Voldemort hissed. "That's not my name!" For a fleeting moment, anger flared up in his eyes, but the scarlet glow quickly disappeared again and left nothing more behind than the diluted look of a defeated wizard. 

Dumbledore ignored the outburst and gestured Harry to step closer. "Harry, now it is your turn." 

Harry retrieved the parchment with the spell from his pocket, grasping it so tightly that he almost crumpled the small note, and aimed his wand at Voldemort, who was watching him with a strange look. The Dark Lord obviously had no clue about what awaited him, but no signs of anxiety could be seen on his face, just some not-so-well-hidden, growing refusal. The disgrace of being defeated by a boy was probably much harder for him to accept than being beaten by Dumbledore. 

But Harry wouldn't feel any sympathy for Voldemort - the Dark Wizard hadn't had any for Harry's parents or his other victims either. Harry tightened his grip on his wand and read out the spell. 

One second passed, then another, but nothing happened. 

Voldemort let out a short, high-pitched laugh. "This is all you can do to me? I don't know why I ever considered you a threat - you can't even perform your spell properly!" 

"Remember Hermione's words, Harry," Serena said. "It takes power to loosen the bond between magic and body." 

Harry nodded mutely. Voldemort's posture tensed up when he took in the meaning of Serena's words. "You want to take my magic, boy? You're far too weak for this, I assure you," he sneered at Harry. 

But for the fraction of a second, fear had made Voldemort's voice waver. Despite his arrogant behaviour, Voldemort didn't completely put it past Harry to manage the spell, which gave Harry a sudden surge of self-confidence. With renewed determination he raised his wand again and repeated the words of the spell. Putting all the strength in it that he could muster up and making sure that he pronounced everything correctly, he steeled himself against the overwhelming stream of power that would come from the Dark Wizard - but again, nothing happened. 

Snape released a frustrated breath, which didn't sting any less just because the disdain was written in Malfoy's face. Harry was slightly surprised that there didn't follow a comment like, _'I knew it, Potter's incapable of doing anything right!'_

But even without Snape pointing out his failure, Harry felt useless. The complicated, dangerous preparations had been done by others. All he had to do was to cast the spell that didn't work when cast by anyone else. But he couldn't do it. He didn't have enough power. Mortification overwhelmed him, filled every ounce of him, and made him blush with shame. 

"This won't work," Harry mumbled and hung his head. "I'm not strong enough." 

He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, giving him an encouraging squeeze. 

"You can do it, Harry, I know it," Serena bolstered him up. "Perhaps you tried too hard. Loosen up a bit, let your magic flow freely... Remember the prophecy... Professor Dumbledore did his part already, and now you'll do yours." 

Snape cleared his throat, which sounded strange in Malfoy's body. Harry couldn't imagine Lucius Malfoy doing something to make people listen to him. Malfoy was one of those people who were used to already having the full attention of everyone around them. 

Bracing himself for a scathing comment, Harry looked up, but Snape didn't speak to him. 

"Interesting that you mention the prophecy, Serena. Doesn't it say that the Flash and the Sun must unite to win?" The question was only rhetorical, though, and Snape didn't wait for an answer. "We assumed that it meant collaboration between the two, but perhaps they should unite in a more literal way - only Potter can cast the spell on the Dark Lord, but only Professor Dumbledore has the necessary power." 

Serena's eyes widened when she grasped the meaning of Snape's words. "Of course! You're a genius, Sev!" she exclaimed, while Dumbledore nodded in sudden comprehension. 

"Would you show me the incantation, Harry?" Dumbledore asked mildly and held his hand out. 

"What are you planning?" Harry inquired, bewildered. "I thought you can't cast the spell because Voldemort's power wouldn't stay with you." 

"This is correct, Harry, and I do not plan to use the spell against him. I would like to cast it on you and me, transfer some of my magical powers to you. Lend it to you, so to speak. Our blood is not related, so what I give to you will not stay for long. But it should be long enough to perform your task." 

Understanding, Harry quickly handed his parchment over to Dumbledore, who recited the words that Harry had spoken a few minutes ago. This time they didn't go unheard, this time they had an effect that was even visible. 

Dumbledore emanated a fine, golden glowing mist that gathered at the tip of his wand and then jumped over to Harry. The stream of power flew steadily from the older wizard to the younger one, who absorbed it like a dry sponge. Snape and Serena watched the exchange with fascination. 

When the mist faded away, Dumbledore said calmly, "And now you, Harry." 

Dumbledore's power pulsated through Harry's body like molten sunlight. Suddenly Harry felt as if he could manage everything, master every spell - as if there were no limits for him anymore. He wondered whether Dumbledore had such feelings all the time or if he was so used to it that he didn't notice this great power as something unusual. Full of confidence to master the Celtic spell this time, he turned around to face the bed. And in an instant, he spun around again, frantically scanning the room. 

Lord Voldemort had taken advantage of the fact that no one watched him and had slinked off the bed toward Wormtail, clutching the podgy man's Dark Mark. Before he could try to use the silver hand as a wand, though, Snape levitated the unconscious body out of Voldemort's reach. Unwilling to take any more chances, Serena conjured ropes and tied the Dark Wizard up, but it was too late; the damage was already done. 

"Soon my Death Eaters will arrive, and they'll kill you all," Lord Voldemort whispered menacingly. To cap this bad news, Harry noticed that his eyes were glowing again - faint, but with steadily increasing intensity, as if he was beginning to regain his strength. 

"Let's take him somewhere else before the Death Eaters come," Harry suggested. 

"That won't work." Snape shook his head. "Now that he summoned the Death Eaters, they'll Apparate wherever the Dark Lord is." 

"Severus, Serena, reinstate the barrier! Quick!" Dumbledore urged them. He had already tried to do it himself, but his powers resided in Harry. The little bit that was left with him didn't suffice to accomplish such a difficult task. "And Harry, don't waste time - cast the spell!" 

The professors did as they were told, and only just in time - as soon as the barrier was reactivated, the first Death Eaters arrived. Thanks to the barrier, they Apparated outside of the hut. 

Harry recited the Celtic incantation for the third time this day, and this time it wasn't in vain. Again, a faintly glowing mist appeared, this time around Lord Voldemort, and formed a stream from him to Harry. Voldemort screamed in horror, feeling his powers leaving him, but he couldn't do anything to hold them back. When the mist was gone, Harry felt powerful, light-headed, invincible - even more so than before. Suddenly he became aware that he must be the most powerful wizard on earth. In addition to his own power, which had been average at best, and Dumbledore's extensive power, he also possessed Voldemort's complete magical power now. Voldemort, in return, had become as magically gifted as any Muggle. 

They heard a many-voiced outcry from the outside, and for a few seconds, the curses and hexes ceased to race against the magical barrier around the shack. Serena studied her left arm in amazement. The Dark Mark was gone, due to its source being gone. 

The Death Eaters outside recommenced hurling curses against the hut, fighting with fierce resolution. Snape, Serena, and even Dumbledore exerted all their strength to keep the barrier up, but finally they lost to the greater number of opponents. Their only protection against a mob of bloodthirsty Death Eaters dissolved into nothing. 

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Serena shouted and grabbed Harry. Unsure whether Dumbledore was able to Apparate on his own, Snape gripped the older wizard's shoulder and tried to Disapparate too, when Serena cursed loudly. "I can't Apparate!" 

Snape had noticed it too. "Old Death Eater tactics. Before they attack, they establish an Apparition barrier, so their victims cannot flee," he explained. 

In that moment, the entire hut was blown up under the barrage of curses from the Death Eaters. 

Harry decided to put his incredible power to good use - in the nick of time. He erected a shield around them when the hut exploded. Boards, beams, bricks, roof tiles, and splinters of wood rained down on them, but the shield averted them, saving their lives. 

"I'm delighted to see that you actually learned something in my lessons," Serena commented, flashing Harry a relieved smile. Turning her gaze towards their attackers, however, the smile dropped off her face like a light that was blown out. 

They faced about fifty cloaked, hooded, masked figures positioned all around the hut, respective what was left of it. Since his resurrection, Voldemort had reinforced the rows of his Death Eaters, and all of them had followed his summons. 

At least Harry's shield was strong - whatever curses and hexes they threw at them, all were reflected by the shield, and a couple of ricochets caused a fair bit of mayhem among the Death Eaters. However, the three professors could not penetrate the shield either, and were forced to stand and watch the onslaught with increasingly worried faces. 

"KILL THEM!" Voldemort yelled at the top of his lungs. "But not the Potter boy - I need him alive at all costs!" The next moment he was hit by a hex from Serena that silenced him. 

"Is Potter strong enough to reflect Killing Curses?" Snape asked, looking doubtful. 

As if on cue, the first green flash hit the shield - and went right through it. Serena gave Snape a push that sent him to the ground. The curse whizzed over him, missing him only by inches. Neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort could deflect a Killing Curse, and their powers combined in Harry obviously weren't enough either. 

They all dropped flat to the floor, seeking cover behind the paltry remnants of the foundation walls. Harry frantically levitated debris into the way of the Killing Curses that were thrown at them in quick succession. Each impact of a green flash on a beam or stone resulted in scattering the solid object and sending small fragments in all directions, hitting and injuring some of the Death Eaters, but unfortunately not causing any permanent damage. 

Not at all dissuaded by their temporary letdown, Voldemort's henchmen rapidly changed their tactics and started sending several curses simultaneously, making it nearly impossible for Harry to impede all of them. He sent desperate looks at his three companions. 

Making herself as flat as possible, Serena crawled to the place where Voldemort lay, still firmly bound. Being a Slytherin, she wasn't above falling back on dishonourable, yet effective methods and she quickly positioned Voldemort as a human shield in front of them, fixing the skeletal body between the remains of the chimney and a still standing upright wooden beam, so that he couldn't move away or dodge any curses. Then she applied an engorgement charm on the former Dark Lord, triplicating his size. 

With Voldemort in front of them, and a rock face behind, Harry needed only to watch out for Killing Curses that came from the sides. This made his task easier and he shot Serena a thankful glance. 

"What do you think, how long until the first one throws a Killing Curse at his master?" Serena asked, when all four of them were crouched together behind Voldemort's broad back. 

"Most likely sooner than later. I can't imagine Malfoy to show much consideration for a Dark Lord who allows himself to be abused as a shield," Snape answered grimly. 

"Then we should find a way out of our unfortunate position soon. Problem is that the shield that protects us also prevents us from shooting back," Serena said, gritting her teeth. 

"Killing Curses would go through," Snape suggested. 

"No," Dumbledore objected. "Using Unforgivables should be our very last resort. There must be another way." 

"We're hopelessly outnumbered. If anyone has a chance against all of them, then it's Potter," Snape stated. "Which makes me more than a bit worried." 

Serena shook her head. "I dunno, Harry's fairly busy. I don't think he can throw out hexes as well." 

Confirming her assumption, Harry shook his head. It was already difficult enough to keep up the shield, block the Killing Curses with solid objects, and follow their conversation simultaneously. 

"For us to help him, he would have to put down the shield - and then we'd be unprotected. They'd kill us before we had even half of them out cold," Serena said, frustrated. 

"Harry would have to defeat all of them at once," Dumbledore put in. "Then it would not matter that he took down the shield. Serena, when you were still a spy, you repeatedly did it, using _Multiplicus_." 

Serena bit her lower lip, looking queasy. "Erm, yeah, I did, but it was different. I never managed to stun several people, I only petrified them. That's a first year's spell and much easier. Besides that, they were only three Death Eaters, not fifty." 

"At the moment Potter has more power than all of us combined. Perhaps it's enough for him to do something right at the first try for once," Snape commented dryly. "He could petrify them, like you did, and then we can go around and stun one after another later." 

"But the Multiplicus addition is quite hard. I needed a lot of practice to master it. Harry would have only one attempt." 

"Then one attempt must suffice. Explain to Harry what he has to do, Serena," Dumbledore decided. 

Serena sighed and turned to Harry. 

"You must put all your power into the spell - its strength is divided up between the targets. You add _Multiplicus_ to your incantation and spread your aim over all of the Death Eaters," she instructed him. "This sounds easier than it is, though. Do you think you could manage that?" 

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have much of a choice, do I? Professor Dumbledore's power's leaving me already, and I can't keep up that shield much longer," he said, frowning from concentrating so hard. 

Suddenly Snape uttered a choked noise. Serena spun around and saw that the effect of the Polyjuice was wearing off of him. At the next moment, there was a crushing sound behind her back. When Serena had enlarged Voldemort, his muscles had grown as well, increasing his physical strength considerably. Having only waited for an opportune moment to take advantage of her oversight, he took his chance when she was busy looking at Snape instead at him. 

Ripping his bonds to shreds, he turned around and reached with his huge hands for Harry's comparatively tiny neck, determined to strangle the boy, their only protection against his Death Eaters, into unconsciousness. 

Harry's reflexes reacted promptly. He dodged Voldemort's grip and moved backwards, out of the giant Dark Lord's reach. Unfortunately, he tripped over a heap of rubble in the process and lost his balance, which resulted in an inadvertent swerve of his wand, causing the rock, which he had been levitating, to rise high into the air. Then he fell flat on his back and his wand slipped from his grip. The shield around them collapsed. At the same time, the magical force that had lifted the heavy boulder vanished, and the stone dropped back down to earth. With a dull thud it hit Voldemorts head, knocking the oversized man to the ground, just the moment he reached for Harry again. 

Seeing their master fall caused the Death Eaters to pause and stare in shock at the scene. 

"Now would be a good time, Harry," Serena shouted and started throwing stunning spells at the temporarily paralysed Death Eaters. 

Harry woke from his stupor, snatched his wand, and leapt to his feet. Waving his wand in a wide angle at their attackers, he yelled " _Petrificus Totalus Multiplicus_!" 

Then he sank down to his knees, too exhausted to even stand, praying silently that he had done it right. He had laid all his strength in this one spell, and if it didn't work, he wouldn't be able to re-enact the shield fast enough. 

But he was lucky. All of the Death Eaters instantly grew stiff and dropped to the ground like flies. From one moment to the next there was not one of them standing anymore. 

Harry couldn't help but wonder whether together with Dumbledore's power he also had received some of his wisdom. He couldn't explain otherwise how he had been able to understand the principle of the Multiplicus addition that easily, and apply it correctly. 

Snape, now looking like himself again, motioned for Serena to follow him. They walked among the Death Eaters, stunning everyone to make sure that none of them would escape. 

Professor Dumbledore checked Lord Voldemort's body and discovered that he was dead. The massively heavy boulder had crushed his scull, and without any magical abilities, he had had no chance of protecting himself against the damage. 

When they had stunned the last attacker, Snape turned to Serena. "We should get some Aurors here, and quick, before the Death Eaters wake up again," he said. "But how? They probably won't believe a word if we tell them what happened." 

"Then let them see for themselves," Serena answered, grinning mischievously. She pointed her wand at the sky and cast a big, green skull into the air. 

Snape groaned when he saw it. "Do you really think that's a good idea?" 

"Sure. The sign's clearly visible - it shouldn't take long until the first Aurors Apparate here." 

And she was right - half a minute later three Aurors arrived with a popping sound, their wands drawn. When they caught sight of the scene, one of them Disapparated instantly, to return with many more Aurors in tow a few minutes later. Someone had even alerted the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who straightened his bowler hat and gaped as he took in the completely demolished hut and the skull in the sky above it. 

He didn't so much as glance at the Death Eaters that were taken away by the Aurors. Pointing at the green skull, he roared, "WHO DID THAT?" 

"If you're talking about that sign, that would be me, Minister," Serena answered with a smile. 

"You're arrested!" Fudge barked, infuriated. 

Serena cast him a look as if he had lost his marbles. "Excuse me? What for?" 

"For casting the Dark Mark into the sky! That is a punishable offence!" 

"I've never conjured a Dark Mark in my whole life," she objected, determinedly shaking her head. 

"But you confessed it just moments ago!" 

"I only admitted to have cast this thing -" she pointed upwards, "- into the air. You can't seriously call this a Dark Mark." 

Fudge narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, not quite understanding. When he noticed a few Aurors snigger, he glanced upwards to scrutinize the sign. It was a green skull, indeed, but with heavily squinting eyes and gaps in its teeth. The snake that symbolized the skull's tongue was only a small worm that hung feebly from its mouth. 

The Aurors' chuckles only aggravated him more. "Anyway, take it down - at once!" 

Serena didn't look happy, but she let the sign vanish with a flick of her wand, grumbling about 'spoilsport' and 'no sense of humour'. Fortunately, Fudge didn't hear her, because his gaze had fallen on the huge corpse, and he stared at it, wide-eyed. 

"This... This is... Is this...?" he stammered. 

"Indeed, Minister Fudge, these are the remains of Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore stated, speaking as lightly as if he was talking about the weather. Calm and in a soothing tone of voice, he launched into an account of what had happened. 

Fudge seemed to find it rather difficult to believe that Lord Voldemort had indeed returned, just as Harry had told him at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. But now, with the evidence lying in front of his eyes and being too large to be ignored, Fudge didn't have any other choice than accepting Dumbledore's reiteration of the past twenty four hours as true. 

Not taking kindly to being defeated, however, the Minister for Magic tried, in his anger, to use the information that Hermione and Jon had been kidnapped to turn the tables. But the Headmaster of Hogwarts wasn't someone to argue lightly with. Fudge's bellowing was soon subdued as Dumbledore reasoned with him, calmly presenting the undeniable facts before him, one by one. After all, he had never denied that they had been abducted in the first place, so he hadn't lied to Fudge per se. And he had managed, with the support of Harry and two professors, to get both students back in good health and to lay the foundations to the final defeat of Lord Voldemort - facts that Fudge couldn't refute.


	23. Epilogue

_(February 1996)_

Afternoon slowly turned into evening, when, finally back at Hogwarts, Severus sat in front of the fireplace in his private quarters. Equally slowly, the full ramifications of the day unfolded themselves in his mind. 

The Dark Lord was dead. At last. Dead and gone forever. And his Dark Mark was gone as well. After Voldemort's first downfall, the Mark had become extremely pale. It had been barely visible anymore, but Severus had still clearly felt it. Now, it was truly gone. For the first time in almost seventeen years, he was able to check his left forearm and see and feel nothing but unblemished skin. 

Without exception, the Death Eaters had been arrested and were now awaiting trial. Being caught at the place of the final battle against the Dark Lord, wearing their Death Eater robes and masks, they certainly wouldn't leave Azkaban again for the rest of their lives. This time, they couldn't even claim to having been forced under Lord Voldemort's Imperius Curse, because Lord Voldemort had been a squib throughout the better part of the battle. 

There was no need for him to stay at Hogwarts anymore, Severus suddenly realised. All at once, the wizarding world had been emptied of dangerous enemies who wanted to kill him. He could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted. He was free. Ever since agreeing to work for Dumbledore, he had kept himself going with the thought that the day when the fight was over he could leave everything behind and start a new life. And today this day had come. 

A chapter in the book of his life was finished, undeniably over. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn't just turn the last page and never look back. Not yet. There was still an unresolved issue, and that was Serena. 

Ever since she had returned to Hogwarts, he had repeated to himself that she wasn't trustworthy. That he had seen enough to know that she wasn't loyal to anyone except herself. Of course he had treated her accordingly, which ruled out any attempts at repairing their friendship or even coexisting on less than hostile terms. 

But then Albus Dumbledore had told him that most of the things he had seen hadn't been real. Last night, she had explained away everything else that had made him cling to his conviction of her untrustworthiness. And today, she had fought the Dark Lord without hesitation. She had saved Severus' life. Perhaps it was time for him to admit that she didn't deserve his distrust. 

His gaze fell on the box with Serena's possessions that waited beside the door. Before returning to Hogwarts, he had made a detour to his house and had fetched the box from the attic. Severus rose from his armchair. It was time to give Serena her belongings back - and to give her the apology he had refused her last night. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could finally finish off a rather unpleasant chapter of his life. 

When he knocked at the door to her office, the box under his arm, nobody answered. After waiting a minute, he followed the corridor a few steps down and greeted the painting of Alberta Toothill, who guarded the entrance to Serena's private quarters. 

"Good afternoon, Alberta. Could you please tell Serena that I'm here to see her?" 

The picture of an elderly lady suspiciously eyed the box in Severus arms and disappeared with a frown from the canvas. Severus couldn't blame her for being rather cool to him - twice he had seen Serena in her office, and twice it had ended in an argument and Serena practically throwing him out. Despite once having been a famous Duelist, Alberta preferred quiet and peace in the rooms that she guarded, and she considered Severus a serious hazard for both. 

A short while later, Alberta returned, not looking any friendlier. 

"She's awaiting you," she said brusquely and her painting swung aside to reveal a doorframe, behind which Serena was standing. 

"Hey, Sev," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. A big yawn prevented her from saying more. She looked dazed, her hair was more than a bit tousled and her robes were sprinkled with more creases than they had after their return from Little Hangleton. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Severus asked, silently cursing himself for his unfortunate timing. 

Serena nodded sleepily. "Last night was rather short, so I tried to catch up on lost sleep before the feast begins. Unlike you, I need more than a three hour nap to function properly." 

While her words almost sounded like a reproach, her voice sounded nothing but tired. 

"I won't bother you for long," he told her, holding the box with her possessions out to her. "I wanted to give your things back to you." 

Serena took the box, cast a quick glance at its contents, and put it down on the floor beside the door. "Erm, thank you," she muttered. Noticing that Severus hesitated to leave, she asked, "Well, is there anything else?" 

"Actually - yes." Severus took a deep breath. Perhaps he should have thought about the exact wording of his speech beforehand. He wasn't used to apologising, and it didn't come naturally to him. "I did some thinking," he began tentatively, "about the last few days, about you, about a conversation I had with the Headmaster at your sickbed -" 

"You were at my sickbed?" Serena interrupted him with genuine surprise. 

He hadn't visited her a second time in the infirmary, and no one seemed to have told her about the first time. For a second her face lit up, as if she was pleased to hear it, but then she became aware that she had cut him off, and with a guilty look she asked him to carry on. 

"What I was saying... I've come to the conclusion that I was wrong about you," he said a bit stiffly. "I decided to discard my distrust in you and apologise to you like someone with good manners would." 

"Wow," was all she managed to answer. They stared at each other for a few moments, until she added, incredulously, "Are you serious about this?" 

"Yes, of course. I'm not joking." 

"You really apologise to me?" 

Severus sighed. "Yes, I do." 

He studied her disbelieving expression. Why did she have problems with taking in his words? Had he already crossed the point where she couldn't believe anything of him save insults and scathing remarks? 

"Does this mean you don't hate me anymore?" Her question was quiet, and her voice was tense, almost as if she was afraid to ask - or rather afraid to hear the answer. 

"I discarded any aversions to you together with my distrust." 

"And you won't attempt to kill me again?" 

Slowly, this question-and-answer game was becoming silly in Severus' opinion. Of course he didn't plan another attempt on her life; this was exactly what he had said, just in other words. But he wouldn't snap at her, he reminded himself, he had come to make peace with her, after all. 

He arched an eyebrow when he replied, "I can't make promises, of course. I just can say that currently, I don't feel the urge to jump at your throat." A nearly imperceptible smile flitted over his face. 

Nevertheless, Serena noticed the slight change in his expression and smiled too. She stepped aside and waved towards her private rooms. "In that case, please come in." 

"Come in?" Severus repeated, puzzled. 

"Yes, come in! We need to talk about your apology." 

Talk about it? Severus didn't consider this a good idea. Either deliberately or inadvertently, Serena would pester him to death until he lost his temper, snapped at her and ruined the last chance for them to ever feel comfortable around each other again. What was it with women that they couldn't take something at face value, but always needed to talk about it down to the last bothersome detail? 

"Why talk about it? Can't you just accept it? And besides, didn't you want to catch up on lost sleep before the feast begins?" 

Serena sharply shook her head. "Oh no! You can't treat me as big evil witch incarnate all year round and then suddenly change your mind and expect me to just shrug my shoulders and go back to sleep. We will talk, right now... there're some things that I need to know... that I've wanted to ask you for quite a while... but I couldn't, because we weren't on speaking terms. At the moment you seem to be in a relatively amiable mood, and who knows if it won't change until tomorrow. If this is my only chance to have a decent talk with you, I'll be dammed if I don't seize it." 

Her eyes glittered in anticipation of a conversation with him - or was it anxiousness? 

Severus sighed and silently counted up to ten. He had started it, now he would have to see it through to the end, without shouting at her. 

"Oh well, if you insist." 

He followed Serena into her living room and sat down in an old, worn looking, but comfortable armchair. Serena conjured a big pot of steaming, strong coffee from the kitchens and filled two mugs with the dark liquid. 

"This stuff kept me going for the entire day," she breathed with an appreciative sigh. 

Then she emptied half of her mug in one big gulp. As a tea-lover, she rarely drank coffee, and Severus could soon discern the effect that the unfamiliar caffeine had on her. The sleepiness fell off her completely, her posture straightened up and she watched him with an attentive, alert gaze when she started to bombard him with a barrage of questions. 

When had he started to hate her? After their night together? Had her refusal to repeat such intimacy irrevocably destroyed their friendship? Or were there more reasons for his aversion to her? Why had he taken her to St. Mungo's, saving her live, when he found out she wasn't loyal to the Dark Lord? Why had he changed sides and become a spy for Dumbledore? 

And he had so stubbornly insisted that she wasn't to be trusted. Had he really changed his mind now? Or had he just grudgingly given in to the inevitable conclusion after re-evaluating all facts? 

Why did he dislike Jon so much? Was he angry because she hadn't told him about his son earlier? And what on earth had made him assume that Lucius Malfoy could be Jon's father? 

Severus was astounded. She had plenty of questions, and she had them ready as if she knew them by heart, as if she had given each of them quite a bit of thought. And these questions weren't asked lightly; Serena seemed genuinely interested in his answers, even if they shouldn't be to her palate. 

He did his best to give them, as honestly as he could. Some answers she had already guessed; others she found downright surprising. And Severus also learned a few things that he hadn't known before. He began to regret his stubbornness. If they had had an open talk earlier, a lot of grief on both sides could have been prevented. He was amazed at how many of the things he believed he knew about her were just plainly wrong. Even after he had learned that she had been a spy and that his worst memories of her weren't true, there were plenty of wrong ideas left in his mind. 

The biggest of his misconceptions was undoubtedly her relationship with Lucius Malfoy. Serena had never had an affair with him. When he had seen them kissing, it had been a forceful attempt of Malfoy's to take what she would never willingly give to him. When she had been regularly slinking off, it wasn't to meet Malfoy, but to report to Moody. Upon learning this, Severus felt an unexpected happiness grow inside of him and caress his soul. 

The dusk had set in a while ago, and their faces were only lit by the glistening flames in the fireplace, when Serena suddenly noted, surprised, "Wow! We talked for more than an hour and still didn't start a heated argument!" 

Severus agreed. He might have frowned upon Serena's wish to talk earlier, but in hindsight he admitted that sometimes, this female urge to discuss everything had its advantages. He had enjoyed sitting together with her and talking as they used to do so long ago. He could hardly remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. 

In a sudden fit of mischievousness, he arched an eyebrow and replied, while nodding in assent, "Or slapped the other." 

"Or strangled the other," Serena countered with a smile. 

He threw his hands in the air in a resigning gesture. "Okay, you win!" 

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the fire, until Serena's expression became pensive. 

"Such conversations were nothing special when we were friends," she muttered wistfully. "I really missed this. You too?" 

Severus didn't need to think long about an answer. "Each day." 

"Do you think we could do this again?" 

"Talk?" 

"No, I mean yes, talking too. But I meant to be friends. Do you think we could get back what we once had between us?" 

She leaned forward in her armchair, gazing at him, as if she was afraid to miss a word of his answer. Because of the dimness reigning in the room, her pupils had nearly completely displaced her iris and her usually bright blue eyes were almost as dark as his. He could easily get lost in these little mirrors that reflected the fire in the hearth, Severus thought. He felt irresistibly attracted to the pair of flickering mini-flames, like a moth, and all of a sudden he didn't mind the danger of being burnt. 

Then Serena blinked, and the moment was gone. 

Severus shook his head, calling himself to order. "I doubt that it will be like it was ever again." Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, he quickly added, "But I think it could be better. No more secrets, no more lies, no Dark Lord, and no misunderstandings between us anymore - this is a great basis for a new friendship." 

Serena's face lit up with a happy smile that made him briefly wonder whether a Veela had been among her ancestors. Again, they sat silent, content to listen to the cracking of the fire and to watch the flames. 

"You said that our relationship also suffered from the cruel things that we did as Death Eaters," Serena suddenly said. 

Severus nodded thoughtfully. "But I know now that it wasn't true, and that you didn't do any of those things." 

Serena shifted in her seat. "Your reason tells you so. Albus Dumbledore told you so. But your mind is still presenting you with those memories, insisting that they are real, isn't it?" 

Of course she was right. For the umpteenth time Severus recalled one of the particularly vivid memories to verify it. He couldn't help it - he should know that they were false, but they didn't feel that way. Frustrated, he sighed. "Your Memory spells were brilliant - even now, there's no difference between any of my memories, they all seem equally authentic to me." 

"They had to be perfect - my life was at stake, and the lives of our victims too. But now, that it's over - would you like to have your true memories back?" 

"Can you do that? I thought that Memory spells could not be reversed without causing great damage to the brain." 

"It's not easy, but I have the advantage that I know what I've done. I only blocked your true memories, and I could remove these blocks. I also could sort of label the false memories as such. They would then appear like a dream - you remember them, but they don't feel real anymore." 

"And you'd do this for me?" 

"Sure." Suddenly a wry grin spread over her face. "Of course you would have to put some faith in me that I won't botch up your brain. Contrary to most men, it's an important organ of yours, which you actually use for thinking." 

Despite her joking about it, Severus didn't need to think twice about her offer. Getting his true memories back - this would remove the last obstacle on their way of forging a new friendship. 

"Do it," he said firmly. 

Twenty minutes later, Serena announced, wearied, "Phew, that was it!" Memory spells weren't easy to perform, but to undo them seemed even more straining. 

While she collapsed into her armchair, yawning widely, Severus closed his eyes and recalled his memories of their Death Eater raids. For the first time, he saw what really had happened then and he was overwhelmed. He had known that some of his memories hadn't been correct, but not exactly to which extent. He had only been able to guess according to what Dumbledore had told him. 

Now he realised that his dislike for Serena had been completely founded on false notions. Actually, he had not once witnessed her torturing and killing someone. And more, he hadn't committed murder either. In his days as a true Death Eater, he hadn't taken one single human life. Only after Serena was gone and he had become a spy, he had actually participated in killing innocents, in order to remain inconspicuous and to protect his cover. 

The irony wasn't lost on him. "This must be a bad joke," he groaned. "The universe must be having a good laugh at my expense." 

When there was no answer, he opened his eyes and looked at Serena. She sat slumped in her armchair and was fast asleep. Even quite a few mugs of strong coffee couldn't compensate exhaustion and fatigue forever. 

In her sleep, she wore a peaceful smile that warmed his insides. She truly seemed to be at ease with him. Regardless of how tired she was, she would never allow herself to fall asleep in the company of someone whom she didn't trust. 

Severus took a woollen blanket from a nearby stool and covered her with it, before he quietly left her quarters and returned to his own rooms. 

* * *

One hour after dinner, the Valentine's Day Ball began. But this year it was more than an opportunity to dance with one's sweetheart and steal kisses. Dumbledore had declared the event a celebration of the end of Lord Voldemort and had opened the feast for all years. The news had spread like wildfire. The Aurors who had collected the stunned Death Eaters and taken care of Lord Voldemort's body had hurriedly passed on the good news to their families. They had told their friends and neighbours, who, in turn, had sent owls to their relatives and their children at Hogwarts. By the time dinner was over, Hogwarts had already seen a few hours worth of celebration on its grounds, in its rooms, and throughout the corridors. 

So when the feast began, most students recalled the original reason for it and showed up in pairs, even if it was no longer required. 

Severus sat at the High Table, his gaze roaming the Great Hall. As usual, the decoration screamed the ball's theme - Valentine's Day - in pink and red colours and could have been from Gilderoy Lockhart himself. Heart-shaped balloons drifted in mid-air, and fairies buzzed all around, sending out showers of red sparks now and then. Only half of the usual number of floating candles lit the hall, presumably to create a cosy, romantic atmosphere. The large House tables had been replaced by countless small, round tables, and room for dancing had been left free in the middle of the hall. 

Because they had done a great job at the previous year's Yule Ball, Dumbledore had booked the Weird Sisters again for the musical accompaniment. 

Usually, such arrangements served to drop Severus' mood pretty low, but today they merely elicited an arched eyebrow from him. Wherever he looked, he saw dressed up couples who made puppy eyes at each other. He was tempted to swoop down on them and take points just to wipe those lovesick expressions off their enraptured faces, but today he found himself content with imagining their looks if he did so. 

The hall was slowly filling up, and a group of six students at the doors caught his eye. He recognised the first pair - Harry Potter, walking in arm in arm with Ginny Weasley. Upon his entrance, the other students broke into applause and cheers. For once, Severus didn't scowl at Harry in an instant, and didn't miss the look of uneasiness about so much attention on Harry's face. Behind him, Hermione Granger stepped over the threshold, being led by Ron Weasley at her right side and Jon Potter on her left. A third girl kept close to Potter's other side. When the group headed towards an empty table, she briefly tousled his hair, while he ducked and shook his head in protest. Then she left the group and pushed her way through the crowd toward the High Table. 

In the rather dim light he couldn't recognise her. That she was small and mostly hidden behind other, taller students didn't help. Nevertheless, she seemed familiar to him. The girl had her black hair pinned up in an elaborate pile on her head, and Severus could have sworn that he had seen that violet dress before. Judging by the admiring looks that mostly male students cast her, such dresses shouldn't be allowed for female students, he thought. Suddenly he remembered where he had seen this dress before. And he had cast her just the same look then! This wasn't a student; it was Serena, wearing the same dress that she had worn the day that they had received the Dark Mark. Like then, she looked breathtaking. The years that had passed were scarcely visible on her - if anything at all, they had only served to make her look more mature and beautiful. 

"Hey, Sev," she greeted him upon arriving at the High Table and reached for his chin. With gentle pressure she closed his mouth. Severus hadn't even noticed that he was gaping at her. With an impish gleam in her eyes she added, "You better keep this shut; you don't want to have a fairy fly into it, do you?" Flashing him a playful grin, she sat down next to him. 

"You missed dinner," was all he managed to say, temporarily stunned. 

"I know." She stretched luxuriously and let out a sensuous sigh. "I didn't know that it's possible to sleep that well in an armchair. When my alarm clock squawked, I threw a shoe at it and instantly fell asleep again. If Jon and his friends hadn't come to fetch me, I'd probably have missed the ball too." She cast a brief look at the small bowls, filled with sweets and nibbles, which were distributed over all tables, including the High Table. She took a handful of everything and piled it up in front of her. When she started munching it away, Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat and the murmuring in the Great Hall died down. 

In his speech, he repeated what everyone had already heard by now: Lord Voldemort's comeback had failed; Harry had defeated him before Voldemort's second rise to power was accomplished, and this time he was gone for good. His Death Eaters were arrested. The majority of the student body rejoiced vociferously. But Severus could also spot a few students who looked sad or angry, most of them being Slytherins, who had been children of these Death Eaters. 

Harry was awarded two hundred points for his achievement, which put Gryffindor instantly at the lead in the run for the House Cup. It seemed impossible for the other Houses to catch up this huge difference in points during the remaining four months. Quite unhappy about this development, Severus muttered angrily under his breath. 

"Well, I'm sure you'll manage to deduct all these points from Gryffindor again in your Potions lessons," Serena dryly commented and winked at him. 

"Someone has to bring this conceited pack back to earth again, after all," Severus grumbled back, but he didn't look as ill-tempered as he sounded. 

Now that the danger was gone, Dumbledore continued, Hogsmeade trips were reinstated and the next outing would be taking place the next Saturday, because the students had been confined to the castle for too long. This announcement was met with even more cheers. 

Finally Dumbledore finished his speech, and the Weird Sisters began to play. The dance-floor instantly filled with pairs. 

"Those darn Weasley twins!" Severus suddenly exclaimed. 

Serena cast him a puzzled look and found him staring to the left, where the house-elves had arranged a cold buffet. 

"They spiked the punch, probably with alcohol of some sort! Or worse, with one of their joke potions!" he growled and rose from his seat. 

Severus intended to give them a sound dressing down and start reducing Gryffindor's prominent lead over the other Houses, but Serena seized his arm, holding him back. He felt a sparkle flitting over his skin, and even after she had removed her hand again, the spot where she had touched him continued to send a warm and pleasant tingle through his arm. Suddenly his mouth went dry. 

"C'mon, Sev, let them have some fun. Today's a joyous day, let them celebrate." 

Severus hesitated a moment and then sat down again. "But if they try to pour a second bottle, they're in for it." 

During the following minutes, Severus kept close watch at the Weasley brothers, while Serena watched the dancers. 

"I haven't danced in ages..." she said and sighed dreamily. 

"No one is hindering you to do it now," Severus answered absentmindedly, still monitoring the Weasley twins. They left the vicinity of the punch-bowl and asked two Hufflepuff girls for a dance. 

"Is that an invitation?" Serena asked. 

"An invitation?" Confused, Severus looked at her and noticed her surprised, yet hopeful look. Then he remembered her comment about dancing and shook his head to say no. 

The hope in her eyes transformed to disappointment when she turned away and resumed watching the other dancers from afar. 

Fred and George lead the girls to the centre of the dance-floor and started to swirl them around. Perhaps, Severus thought, dancing wasn't that bad an idea. He could show his good will to Serena and keep a closer watch at the Weasleys at the same time. 

"Okay," he said in an indulging tone to Serena. "One dance. But don't expect me to make a habit of it." 

Serena smiled happily when she got up and took his arm, allowing Severus to lead her toward the crowd of dancing students and professors. 

Just when they arrived, the song finished, and Severus cursed his bad luck. Of course the next song had to be one of those dammed slow ballads. Professor Dumbledore, who had danced with Professor Sinistra, escorted her back to the High Table. The dance-floor filled with couples that danced in tight embraces. Severus noticed with some unease the numerous eyes resting on him - with expressions ranging from mild interest to blunt shock. He gazed longingly back at his seat, when he felt a tugging at his sleeve. 

"No chickening out now, Sev," Serena said firmly, a playful gleam evident in her eyes. "You promised me a dance - and I'm going to get it!" 

Not waiting for his answer, she wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggled her head against his chest and started to sway her hips to the slow rhythm. Severus was suddenly keenly aware of the proximity of her body, the sweet scent of her perfume, and the softness of her skin under the much too thin fabric of her dress. In a reflex action he laid his arms around her shoulders, holding her delicate figure close to him and began matching her movements. All at once, he felt like a teenager - nervous, unable to say anything intelligent, afraid to make a mistake and ruin the special moment. 

He didn't care anymore about the incredulous looks of the students or what the Weasleys were up to. He only had eyes for the beauty in his arms. And suddenly he knew exactly what to say. 

Bending down, so that his mouth came level with her head, he whispered softly into her right ear. 

Serena's head jerked back and she met his gaze, flabbergasted. When she realised that he was serious about his words, she blushed and flashed him the most beautiful smile he had ever received. Then she took his face, pulled it closer to hers and kissed him. 

It felt like a wonder when her soft lips touched his and made him forget everything else - the astounded stares of the students, the mischievous Weasley twins, the music that missed a beat. 

An emotion took hold of him that he had never felt before: he was at ease with the world. 

THE END


End file.
